On Tuesday, June 27, the School Board reviewed the results of a survey gauging the public's willingness to support the district's operations. With those survey responses in mind, the Board went on to discuss the possibility of renewing an existing operating levy and asking taxpayers to approve an additional source of funding that would be used to support technology.
Superintendent Kent Pekel emphasized the value of having a dedicated revenue source aimed at tech-related expenses.
"Everything we do is now infused by technology," Pekel said. "The days when you had technology as a separate endeavor are long gone. Technology is infused with curriculum, instruction, operations — in almost every area."
Rochester Public Schools receives funding from numerous sources. It receives state and federal funding, but it also receives revenue from local property owners.
Local voters approved an operating levy for the school district in 2015. That's funding the district wouldn't have been able to collect from taxpayers without voter approval. According to Pekel, the funding from that existing operating levy amounts to $17 million a year.
That operating levy from 2015 is set to expire in 2025. However, one of the changes that came out of Minnesota's recent legislative session is that the School Board now has the authority to renew the levy one time for another 10-year period without having to ask voters.
The Board is also considering asking the public to support a "technology levy." The district estimates it could bring in between $9 and $10 million a year.
The School Board will vote at a future meeting whether to renew the district's existing operating levy or ask voters to increase it. The Board also will vote on whether to put the technology levy before voters at the ballot.
Pekel said the district ideally would put the technology levy on the ballot this fall. He encouraged the board not to renew the operating levy until after that referendum on the tech levy.
"The logic of waiting is that we would have a chance to see what the voters say if you elect to put a technology before the (them)," Pekel said. "That would allow you subsequently to make your decision about either renewing — or, you always have the option to go out and seek an increased operating levy."
RPS conducted a survey in 2023, asking voters how they would respond to an increase in the operating levy. The survey results show that 59 percent of respondents would be in favor of increasing the levy after being presented with some basic information. Among other respondents, 21 percent opposed the hypothetical increase and 20 percent had no opinion.
Additionally, 73 percent of respondents said they would be more likely to support an operating levy increase if the money were used to maintain arts and athletics. If the increase were used to support health care and IT jobs, 70 percent of respondents said they would support it.
Pekel alluded to the myriad of ways a technology levy could be used. He said the district made a quantum leap during the pandemic when it became one-to-one and provided a digital device to every student.
However, that came with a caveat. The federal funding RPS used to become one-to-one didn't allow the district to use the funding for staff devices. With a technology levy, the district could pay for those staff needs.
However, a technology levy would go beyond simply purchasing devices. It also could be used for cybersecurity — a need the district is painfully aware of in the aftermath of a ransomware attack earlier this year.
For that matter, a technology levy also could be used for brick-and-mortar security as well, such as security cameras. Pekel told the school board about a cutting-edge system that uses artificial intelligence to identify weapons in a school with "striking accuracy."
If voters did approve a technology levy, it would ultimately help the district's budget overall. RPS currently supports its tech-related needs with funding from 27 different revenue streams. Having a dedicated source of revenue for technology, Pekel said, would free up funding the district could use elsewhere.
"There would be significant opportunities to reallocate resources," Pekel said. "I wouldn't recommend this technology levy if I didn't think it was a means to fill some budget gaps."
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