Frequently Asked Questions

The Succeeding Together referendum is a proposed $4 million annual tax levy over the next 10 years to enhance student support in Lakeville Area Schools. If approved by voters on Tuesday, Nov. 5, the referendum will provide essential resources to support academic achievement, college and career readiness, and personal-social development. It will also address budget constraints by expanding teaching and support staff, including arts specialists, digital media specialists, counselors, social workers and behavioral specialists. This referendum will help ensure that our growing student population receives the consistent support necessary to succeed, aligning Lakeville Area Schools with neighboring districts in providing high-quality education and student services.

If approved, this levy will help improve support systems, providing students with the resources they need to succeed and bring us in line with other local school districts. It will also help us retain and support our staff, ensuring they have resources to thrive. Specifically, the referendum will:

• Enhance Arts and Music Education: By providing full-time elementary Arts and Music teachers at each school, we will enrich students’ creative and cultural experiences. 

• Improve Media Literacy: Restoring full-time digital media specialists in elementary and middle schools will boost students' reading, research, digital literacy, and future-ready skills.

• Provide Consistent Academic, College and Career, Personal-Social Readiness: By adding one counselor to each high school and two counselors plus a social worker to each middle school, we will ensure consistent support in academics, career and college readiness, and personal-social development for grades 6-12.

• Strengthened Behavioral Support: Adding a behavioral specialist to Crystal Lake Education Center and elementary schools that currently lack a behavioral position will improve students' behavioral skills, positively contributing to a better teaching and learning environment.

For a homeowner with an average-valued home of $465,000, the estimated tax impact would be about $13 per month. Use our online tax calculator for estimates based on different home values.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024, from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Early voting begins on Friday, Sept. 20, 2024. For details on voting locations and methods, visit our Voting Information page.

Without the referendum, our district will continue to face challenges in providing adequate support for students and staff, potentially leading to larger gaps in resources and services compared to neighboring districts.

1. Limited Arts and Music Education: Elementary Art and Music teachers will remain part-time at schools, reducing students' exposure to these subjects and making it hard to hire and keep quality teachers.

2. Inadequate Media Literacy Support: Without full-time digital media specialists, students will receive limited research and digital skill development, and it will be difficult to attract and retain these teachers.

3. Limited Academic Support Services: High schools and middle schools will continue to experience a growing shortage of counselors, social workers, and intervention support, further limiting personalized academic, college/career, and personal-social support, while Pre-K and elementary schools will continue to face growing challenges in providing behavioral support, impacting the overall teaching and learning environment.

Without this levy, our district may struggle to meet growing needs, leading to even greater disparities in resources and opportunities for students to succeed.

Attend our information meetings or visit our website:

• Meetings: 

  • Tuesday, Oct. 22 at 5:30 p.m., Virtual

  • Thursday, Oct. 24 at 6 p.m., Lakeville South High School

  • Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 6 p.m., District Office

• Website: isd194.org/succeedingtogether 
• Email: succeedingtogether@isd194.org
• Phone: 952-232-2096

The referendum is essential for maintaining and enhancing the quality of education in Lakeville Area Schools. It ensures students receive the comprehensive support they need to succeed academically, socially and personally. Strong schools contribute to stronger communities and higher home values, benefiting everyone. By aligning with neighboring districts in providing high-quality education with high quality support, we strengthen our community.

Minnesota school districts rely on local tax dollars primarily due to gaps in state funding. For decades, state funding for education, which is the main source of funding for school districts, has not kept pace with inflation and increased operational expenses, which has resulted in significant funding shortfalls requiring Minnesota school districts, including Lakeville Area Schools, to often need to depend on local taxes to cover the increasing costs of running school and to meet unique local needs. This chart from the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD) illustrates this issue, showing that while state education funding has increased, it has not adjusted adequately for inflation. Had state funding kept pace with inflation over the years, Lakeville Area Schools would receive an additional $16 million per year to support students.  

In 2023, new state funding was provided at a historical increase, but it came with several unfunded and partially-funded mandates that added financial costs on school districts. 

Local property taxes are used to help bridge the funding gap, which can lead to disparities between school districts and costs to residents.

While school districts receive state and federal funding per pupil that is consistent across districts, this funding has lagged behind inflation for decades. To help offset the funding gap, districts also need to levy resident tax dollars to support students. Currently, the Lakeville Area Schools levy amount per pupil is $1,671.49, while the maximum a district in Minnesota can levy per pupil is approximately $2,202.89. This translates to at least $8.3 million in revenue that is not available in the Lakeville Area Schools annual budget. Other comparable districts are at or near the maximum for how much they can levy through property taxes, which means they have an additional $400-600 dollars per student as compared to Lakeville Area Schools.

The referendum is based on a two-year task force's recommendations and aligns with the district’s strategic plan. It incorporates input from teachers, the Board of Education, and the community to address the most pressing needs of our growing student body. The district will provide the community with information through a website, print mailers, and presentation so residents are informed about the referendum prior to Nov. 5.

Yes. In November 2023, the district asked two referendum questions: one for an operating levy to help open Highview Elementary and another to provide additional staffing support for students. The first question passed, allowing the new elementary school to move forward and open this fall. The second question failed and our need to support students has not gone away. The Succeeding Together Referendum 2024 builds on this progress by focusing on expanding support services for all students. As our community has and continues to grow, ongoing funding will be crucial for meeting our students' needs and sustaining high-quality education. For more details on past referendums, visit the Elections section of our website.