School closure threat looms in Burnsville levy vote

Article by: Emily Johns , Star Tribune
Updated: September 4, 2007 - 12:22 PM

The chairman of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school board said earlier this week that if voters don't pass a levy referendum this fall, the school district will have to close "at least" one school.

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The chairman of the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school board said earlier this week that if voters don't pass a levy referendum this fall, the school district will have to close "at least" one school.

"Not because we have the excess capacity to do so," said Dan Luth, "but simply because we will not be able to afford to keep all of our current schools open."

It's no secret that Burnsville's schools have been in a dire financial situation for years. Declining enrollment puts any school district in a tough spot. The district has gone through eight rounds of budget cuts in 11 years (totaling more than $22 million), and last year voters denied a district plea for more funding.

The board plans to ask voters for $640 per pupil for 10 years to help the district's finances. And, Luth said, a failed levy referendum would mean that class sizes would again increase.

On Thursday, Luth said the district's own research shows there are a lot of anti-tax sentiments in the community, and it gets taken out on the school district.

"Unfortunately, school districts are the only ones that really have to go out and ask [for money]. Most of the cities and counties are able to increase their property taxes without approval from the community, so we get to be the ones that they get to express their concerns with."

Luth said the district doesn't know which school building will be closed. But it said it could likely be an elementary school, a junior high, or both. He said if the levy referendum fails, the school board will kick into high gear to identify a school (or schools) and redraw district boundaries.

The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district serves about 10,400 students, and has 10 elementary schools, three junior high schools, a high school (with two campuses) and an alternative high school.