Cuts coming for some school districts after failed referendum questions

The St. Michael-Albertville school district was hopeful on election night. But the one question voters failed to pass will mean a third consecutive year of difficult cuts.

"These new cuts that we’re going to have, they are going to be significant again and they’re going to affect staffing, and are certainly going to affect kids," said Drew Scherber, the chairperson of the St. Michael-Albertville school board.

Last year, the district cut about $6 million from the budget, which resulted in the loss of roughly 70 staff members. This year, they’re looking at another $3 million to $6 million, and between 40 to 60 employees.

The district ranks last in the state, No. 330 of 330 school districts, when it comes to general education per-pupil funding, yet has been ranked as one of the state and nation’s best school districts over the years.

"Everything is on the table at this point, middle school activities, certainly larger class sizes, instead of kindergarten having 26 in a classroom we may have over 30 in the classroom, same with all those high school classrooms, it could be up to 45 or maybe even higher in the classroom," Scherber said.

Neighboring district Monticello is also facing $3 million in cuts after its three questions on Tuesday’s ballot failed.

"A school budget is 85% made up of staff salary and benefits and so there’s no way around not cutting staff," Monticello Public Schools Superintendent Eric Olson said.

Olson says middle school and high school sports will likely be impacted, and class sizes at all levels will go up.

When class sizes are out of control, obviously, educators are not able to make connections or build relationships like they normally would, when class sizes are lower, that affects outcomes and how people teach and the learning that takes place, so I’m worried," Education Minnesota President Denise Specht said.

Olson says, unlike in years past, he feels social media contributed to Monticello’s failed ballot questions.

"The best place to really find out what’s happening is to ask the people in the trenches, and I can’t imagine not doing that in other professions, but for whatever reason, education is the one where people use social media to get false information the quickest," he said.

Both districts will take the next few months to determine cuts and could be back to voters next year.