FAQ

A: There will be one question on the November 4, 2025 ballot. The proposal on the ballot will ask voters to approve an additional operating levy of $1236.60  per student. The proposed levy will provide approximately $8 million per year for 10 years, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

A: If the November 4, 2025 operating levy is approved, the district will be able to maintain and enhance current experiences for our learners, expand academic supports and begin to look at investing in additional learning opportunities. 

A: If the operating levy is not approved, the district will need to make additional budget reductions that will increase class sizes, eliminate additional educational programs and reduce learning opportunities for students.

A:  If approved, the new operating levy would be in place for 10 years, through the 2035-36 school year.

A: The election will take place on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. In Minnesota, you can vote early with an absentee ballot starting September 19, 2025. You can request an absentee ballot online for federal, state, and county elections.
 

To vote you must:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Be a citizen of the United States
• Be a resident of the school district and maintain residence in the district for 20 days immediately preceding the election

A:  If the operating levy is approved in November, school property taxes for district residents with a home valued at $350,000 will increase by about $44.50 per month. However, the long-range tax impact of the operating levy will be significantly reduced in the coming years. In 2027-2028,  a previously-approved bond levy (used to build FHS and remodel RVES to an elementary school) will expire resulting in a reduction in school property taxes on a $350,000 home of $407 per year or $33.92 per month.  Residents will see another drop in school property taxes in 2031-2032 when another bond levy (deferred maintenance) will expire resulting in an additional decrease of $691 per year or $57.58 per month. While property taxes for most residents will increase for one year, all property owners will see a significant reduction in property taxes beginning in 2027-2028.

Estimated Property Tax Impact Chart (click here!) - This chart provides the estimated property tax change on a variety of property types and values if the operating levy is approved on November 4, 2025.

A: A fund balance is an account in the district’s budget that is not allocated for a specific use. A fund balance is not intended to be used for ongoing expenditures, but for purposes like cash flow, shortfalls in state funding or emergency situations. 
 

There are three types of fund balances:

• Unassigned Fund Balance – Funds available to meet current and future years expenditures. These are resources in Fund 1 that are not restricted and have not been committed or assigned to any specific purpose. Current policy requires the unassigned fund balance to be between 8-12% of general fund expenditures.
• Reserve Fund Balance – Minnesota State Statute dictates the amount of money kept in the reserve fund balance and the use of that money.
• Assigned Fund Balance - The assigned fund balance is money which has been set aside for a specific purpose. This money is assigned by the school board, or a body or an official to which the school board has delegated the authority to assign amounts to be used for a specific purpose. The assigned fund balance also includes donations which have been given for a specific purpose. If the Board sets aside money for a specific purpose they can reassign the money by Board action as needed; however, money given as a donation for a specific purpose cannot be reassigned or used for anything else. 

Learn more about fund balances in ISD 192 and how they work.

A: A building bond is used to fund the construction or renovation of facilities. Building bonds are typically voted on by residents through a bond referendum election. For example, the bond referendum that was approved to construct the current high school. In many ways, a building bond is similar to a loan for a house. In 2027-2028 and in 2031-2032, our district will have building bonds that will be paid off, which will lessen the tax impact for the new operating levy.