Voters in 48 Minnesota school districts will vote in the Nov. 3 election for bond or operating referendums to fund needs for students in their communities. Only four of them are in the 7-county Twin Cities metro area.
Here’s a snapshot for Greater Minnesota:
- 33 school districts in Greater Minnesota have an operating levy question
- 22 seeking increases in operating levies
- 2 asking for a decrease in operating levies
- 9 requesting renewals in their operating referendum
- 11 school districts seek support for a capital project (with a bond referendum question)
Nearly all of the school districts pursuing operating and bond referendums on the Nov. 3 ballot are in Greater Minnesota. The majority of the referendums are for operating support.
Nov 3. Operating Referendums |
Districts Seeking Increase |
Districts Seeking Decrease |
Districts Asking for Renewal Only |
Total |
| Rural | 22 | 2 | 9 | 33 |
| Metro (7-County Area) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Totals | 24 | 2 | 9 | 35 |
Growing Need for Community Support
Since 2002, school districts have increasingly relied on the operating referendum and other local levies to meet the educational needs of students. When adjusted for inflation, the formula and other state general fund support has lost nearly $1,000 per pupil in buying power over the past 15 years. Learn more.
- In 1993, 65% of school districts had referendum authority at a statewide average of $332 per pupil.
- In 2019, nearly 100 percent of school districts received referendum revenue, at a statewide average of $1,468 per pupil.
Previous Results
In November, 43 school districts across Greater Minnesota gained approval for more spending in the form of bond referendums for facilities or operating referendum increases to help fund day-to-day operations. Five of those communities approved both a bond referendum and operating referendum increase at the same time. See the November results.
Eight school districts asked for voters to support their referendums requests last spring during the statewide shutdown due to COVID. Six of them passed and two failed. Learn more.
In November 2019, 43 school districts across Greater Minnesota gained approval for more spending in the form of bond referendums for facilities or operating referendum increases to help fund day-to-day operations. Five of those communities approved both a bond referendum and operating referendum increase at the same time. See the November 2019 results.
The overall passage rate of referendums in rural Minnesota have historically lagged the metro area, but it has been increasing in the past year. The Ag2School tax credit has helped school districts gain more support from their local farmers and timber land owners. Learn more.
Bond Referendums
Nov. 3 Bond Question |
Total Districts |
Requests |
| Rural | 11 | $159,701,385 |
| Metro (7-County Area) | 2 | $30,147,203 |
| Totals | 13 | $189,848,588 |
The following school districts in Minnesota have a bond referendum for a facility project on the Nov. 3 ballot:
- Aitkin
- Badger
- Battle Lake
- Fridley
- Howard Lake-Waverly-Winsted
- Lancaster
- Laporte
- Mabel-Canton
- McGregor
- Milroy
- Park Rapids Area
- Red Rock Central
- West Central Area
Operating Referendums
The following school districts in Minnesota have an operating referendum on the Nov. 3 ballot:
- Albert Lea
- Austin
- Badger
- Bemidji
- Blue Earth
- Butterfield-Odin
- Cambridge-Isanti
- Cleveland
- Fillmore Central
- Floodwood
- Greenbush- Middle River
- Henning
- Howard Lake Waverly-Winsted
- Kenyon-Wanamingo
- Mabel-Canton
- Marshal County Central
- Menahga
- Milroy
- Montevideo
- Monticello
- Morris Area
- Nashwauk-Keewatin
- New London-Spicer
- New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva
- Owatonna
- Pine City
- Prinsbury
- Red Lake
- Red Rock Central
- Shakopee
- James
- Uhlen-Hitterdal
- United South Central
- Waconia
- Wheaton
