FUTURE FOCUSED:
Addressing Key Needs in Fridley Schools
While the Fridley Public Schools are a big source of pride, our district has both operational and facility needs that require the attention of our entire community. District leaders and the Board of Education believe the time has come to address these needs in a comprehensive manner that positions our schools and students for success now and in the years ahead.
OPERATIONAL NEEDS
The gap between the state funding Fridley Public Schools receives and the cost of educating each student has steadily widened over the past several years. In fact, if the formula allowance from the state of Minnesota had kept pace with inflation, our district would have received an additional $3.985 million in general education aid from the state during the 2023-24 school year.
School districts must rely on local taxes—or operating levies—that require voter approval to bridge this funding gap. More than 70% of Minnesota school districts rely on revenue from operating referendums to provide programs and services for students.
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BUILDING & FACILITY NEEDS
Additionally, Fridley Public Schools has a growing list of deferred maintenance needs that we must address soon to ensure our students continue to have access to outstanding educational facilities. These include plumbing, HVAC (heating and cooling system), and roofing replacement. The maintenance and repair items have begun to exceed our dedicated funding for long-term facility maintenance.
We have increasingly needed to use our general fund—the fund we use to cover our day-to-day operational costs, including salaries and benefits, classroom materials (textbooks, technology), utility bills, and other routine expenses—to cover deferred maintenance expenses.
We must find a long-term solution that allows us to address our building and facility needs and reduce the impact on our general fund.
PROPOSED SOLUTIONS
On Tuesday, November 5, 2024, our community will vote on two questions. The first is a voter-approved operating referendum of $424 per pupil unit. The second question is a $30 million facility bond referendum to address our deferred maintenance needs.
An approved operating levy would have an estimated impact of:
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$130 per year (or $11 per month) on a home with an estimated market value of $250,000.
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$163 per year (or $14 per month) on a home with an estimated market value of $313,780, the average home value in Fridley.
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$208 per year (or $17 per month) on a home with an estimated market value of $400,000.
Use the tool below to determine the estimated tax impact based on your home’s assessed value:
An approved bond would have no tax impact on district residents and businesses. How is that possible? The school district's existing debt is being paid in full, creating an opportunity to issue new debt with no tax impact.
We invite you to learn more about our needs and the proposed solutions on the ballot this November.
