COTTONWOOD — The Lakeview Public School district is holding a special election on Tuesday for a capital project technology levy referendum, that would bring in $250,000 annually up to 10 years to maintain technology infrastructure, security and Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.

According to Lakeview’s referendum informational website, the Lakeview school district is fully paying off the original 2002 building bond, $434,000, this school year. As that debt is spread across Net Tax Capacity of the district, Lakeview is pursuing to replace the retiring debt with capital purposes.

The retiring debt eliminates some of the district’s annual debt payments, which has opened an opportunity to replace the payments with funding now going toward technology-based student enhancements and updates. The levy would also result in a tax decrease for properties.

With $434,000 falling off, the net overall tax impact for a $300,000 homestead would see a net decrease of about $41 a year, or $3 monthly. Agricultural land will see a slight increase, as the Ag2School state credit is for building bonds only and not referendums. Land for example at $11,000 an acre would see a $0.57 increase an acre a year.

Lakeview has also felt the effects from the state general education allowance not keeping up with the rate of inflation and state mandates, and has fallen behind with other project areas such as technology and CTE. Lakeview currently does not have a voter-approved levy to support K-12 programs.

The district has made recent budget reductions this and last school year. Lakeview put in place a hiring freeze for 2025-26, adding no additional positions, although noting the district would have liked to hire one or two support staff positions, for an approximate savings of $120,660. The 2024-25 school year, Lakeview overall reduced $147,701 from the budget through retirement savings, third-party contracting, technology savings, extra-curricular reductions and less spending on building and ground supplies.

With the levy, Lakeview would update a handful of areas around the school yearly including servers, cybersecurity, computer labs, security cameras, entrance and door technology, and equipment purchases that have fallen behind with the CTE, which Lakeview noted as the highest priority with growing enrollment.

There also is a list of projects Lakeview would address with buildings and grounds like updating Family and Consumer Science equipment, welders, greenhouse updates, shop ventilation and more.

More information regarding the levy, including a breakdown video, can be found at www.lakeview2167.com/district/capital-project-levy-referendum.

The ballot will read: “The board of Independent School District No. 2167 (Lakeview), Minnesota has proposed a capital project levy authorization in the maximum amount of 2.061% times the net tax capacity of the School District. The proposed capital project levy authorization will raise approximately $250,000 for taxes first levied in 2025, payable in 2026, and will be authorized for ten (10) years. The estimated total cost of the projects to be funded over that time period is approximately $2,500,000. The proposed authorization will provide funds for enhancing safety and security, Career and Technology Education programs and equipment, classroom and building technology, digital curriculum, technology infrastructure and network improvements, device replacement, and the costs of technology-related personnel and training. The projects to be funded have received a positive review and comment from the Commissioner of Education.”

There will be two precinct voting locations, held on Tuesday from noon to 8 p.m. Townships of Lucas, Vallers, Westerheim, Stanley, Fairview, City of Cottonwood, Lyon County, Sandnes, Normania and Yellow Medicine County will vote at the Cottonwood Community Center.

Townships of Lake, Posen, Sioux Agency, Minnesota Falls, City of Wood Lake and Yellow Medicine County can vote at the Wood Lake Community Center.