Straight Answers to 20 Big Referendum Questions

Over the past six months, thousands of Rochester residents have shared their views on the referendum for Rochester Public Schools that will be on the ballot on Tuesday, November 5, 2024. They have filled out surveys, participated in focus groups, attended community meetings and shared opinions through email and social media. Many have spoken with principals and teachers at school events and during drop-off and pick-up times. As we approach the final two weeks before the election, here are their most frequently asked questions and clear answers for voters to consider as they head to the polls.

Referendum

Select a question below to view a video response.

1) What has the school district done to manage its resources effectively before asking the voters to approve more funding?

2) What has RPS done to secure increased funding from the State of Minnesota?

3) How did you choose the staff positions and programs that would receive referendum funding?

4) If the referendum passes, does it mean there will be no changes in programming or positions that the referendum would fund?

5) The school district has announced that it will need to close schools and make major budget cuts if the referendum does not pass. Why haven't you identified the specific schools that will close and other cuts you will make?

6) RPS says that if the referendum passes, it won’t have to close schools, raise class sizes, or make major cuts in programs or positions. Would that be true for the entire 10 years that the operating levy would be in place?

7) What other cuts could be made if the reductions that the RPS School Board identified in its resolution on the failure of the referendum aren’t enough to close the deficit?

8) If the referendum fails, what impact would the budget cuts have on Rochester’s future workforce?

9) If enrollment has decreased since 2019 and is projected to be flat or slightly decline for the next couple of years, doesn’t it make sense to close schools?

10) How have you used the $10 million that Mayo Clinic gave the school district last year and why can’t they donate every year?

11) Why did the school district ask for $10.1 million in the 2023 referendum and $19.4 million in the 2024 referendum?

12) How can you afford facility improvements if you have a deficit and need the referendum to avoid closing schools and raising class sizes?

13) Isn't Rochester Public Schools top-heavy with administrators and can't you cut them to reduce the budget deficit?

14) Why is the school district asking the community to pass the referendum the same year as the City of Rochester and Olmsted County are raising their levies?

15) RPS has pointed out that it receives the least voter-approved funding to support school operations of all the school districts in Minnesota that educate more than 10,000 students. Don't those school districts serve communities that are more affluent than Rochester?

16) RPS says this levy would be in force for 10 years, but I have also heard that it would actually last for 20 years. What is the answer?

17) The language of the referendum question on the ballot is quite complex. Couldn't you have stated it more simply and clearly?

18) How would an increase or decrease in student enrollment impact the amount of funding that the referendum generates for RPS?

19) Why should someone who does not have kids in school care about this referendum?

20) Does the level of funding that a school district receives affect how students learn and perform academically?