On Tuesday night, voters in the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage school district approved both a $2.5 million-per-year technology levy and a $65 million building bond, both by sizable margins.
Preliminary counts show that 63 percent of residents voted in favor of each ballot question.
The technology levy funds will be used to update technology across the district and provide staff and infrastructure support, while the building bond will be used to fund a $52.5 million high school addition, allowing the district's freshmen to join grades 10-12 at the high school. Sixth-graders will also move up to middle schools.
Superintendent Joe Gothard said he was happy to hear the news, but had a hunch that residents were on board with the proposals.
"I think based on what I had heard ... it did feel like there was a lot of support being reported. It was all about who got out and voted, and yesterday I think they showed that they supported it."
Passing both questions will increase property taxes on an average-priced, $200,000 home in the district by about $144 annually.
The support "just showed that there's really a lot of pride for our schools in this community," Gothard added. "We see this as a way to say to the community that we are committed to building and maintaing great schools for our students."
