St. Paul voters backed a pair of ballot measures Tuesday strengthening City Hall’s enforcement powers and the school district’s finances.
The electoral one-two punch had been championed by a diverse group of citizens, elected officials and advocacy groups urging people to “Vote Yes Twice” to ensure local government had a sturdy foundation amid upheaval at the federal level.
Donald Venticinque, 45, of the Summit Hill neighborhood, heeded the message.
“I’m a big advocate for public schools,” he said after voting. “Both my kids go to public school. I want what’s best for not only my kids, but all the kids.”
School district’s $37 million tax increase
The need to preserve not just the essentials but school programs that attract students not necessarily drawn to bread-and-butter coursework helped drive the school district’s request to raise an additional $37.2 million-a-year in taxes over the next 10 years.
“This operating levy will help [St. Paul Public Schools] maintain the arts and music, language and culture, and college and career readiness programs that fuel our students’ excitement for learning and make our schools shine,” Superintendent Stacie Stanley said in a statement Tuesday night.
Defeat of the measure would have put such programs at risk of cuts or elimination, said Stanley, who added: “While this funding will not solve every challenge that comes our way, it will set us up for better outcomes and a brighter future.”
Next year, she said, district leaders will begin looking at possibly consolidating schools, but not without “linking arms with the community” as part of the process.
