MARSHALL — A special election is coming up in a little over a week for voters in the Minneota school district.

While the referendum does include a question on whether to issue up to $2.45 million in bonds, Minneota Superintendent Scott Monson said that doesn’t mean an increased tax impact for property owners.

“We’re not asking for more money,” Monson said Friday.

If the referendum passes, it instead will change how the school district funds its technology needs, in a way that could ease the tax burden for agricultural landowners, he said.

Minneota Public Schools will be holding a two-question referendum on Tuesday, May 9. Question One asks for authorization for the school district to issue up to $2.45 million in general obligation bonds for the next eight years. Question Two would revoke the school district’s current technology levy and replace it with a smaller levy.

The bonds the Minneota district is asking for would make up the difference in the technology levy, while at the same time allowing property owners to qualify for Minnesota’s Ag2School tax credit, Monson said.

Minneota’s technology levy, which was passed in 2021, is used to fund a variety of tech needs in the school district, Monson said.

“The most visible are devices for students, and parts of our (technology) infrastructure,” Monson said.

He said technology levy funds also go toward devices like SMART Boards or interactive television equipment, computer software, and some goes toward technology staff.

The technology levy currently generates about $500,000 a year, Monson said. However, the district is looking for a way to help provide that funding while easing the tax impact on agricultural landowners. Minnesota’s Ag2School credit is only applicable to bonded debt, Monson said. That means the technology levy is currently coming 100% from local taxpayers.

Right now, about 73% of the technology levy is coming from agricultural property, Monson said.

With the referendum questions, “We’re trying to structure it so ag property owners see a reduction in tax for the technology levy,” Monson said.

If voters approve the revocation of the current technology levy, it will be replaced with a smaller levy that would generate about $250,000 a year. With the bonds also generating about $250,000 a year, Minneota would keep about the same overall level of technology funding. At the same time, ag landowners could be eligible for the Ag2School credit for the bonded portion of the funds.

The school district was proposing to bond for only half of the technology levy, because some of the technology funds would go toward salary costs, and bonded funds can’t be used for that purpose, Monson said.

Monson said the school district has already held one informational meeting on the referendum, and has also sent out mailers. A second public informational meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Minneota choir room.

“We’re just trying to inform and educate people,” Monson said.

On May 9, polls for the referendum will be open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. at the Minneota Community Center. The absentee voting period will end on May 9.

More information on Minneota’s referendum can be found online at https://www.minneotaschools.org/domain/184.