PAS special election scheduled for Nov. 7

Voters in the PAS school district have decisions to make during a special election on Tuesday, Nov. 7

Voters in the Pipestone Area School (PAS) District will answer two questions put forth by the school district during a special election on Tuesday, Nov. 7.

The PAS gymnasium at the middle/high school will be the only polling place for the special election. Polls are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The school district planned to have a final community information meeting about the operating levy request on Wednesday, Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. in the PAS auditorium at the middle/high school.
The first question will ask voters to renew PAS’s existing operating levy that expires at the end of this year for another 10 years. That levy provides $474.26 per student and brings the school district’s total operating levy to $1,198.26 per student when combined with operating levies that are already in place and do not require voter approval.
The second question will ask voters to increase the per-student amount by $250 for 10 years, bringing the per student operating levy to $1,448.26.
Renewing the existing operating levy would continue to generate $1,493,990.57 a year for the school district. The proposed increase would generate an additional $311,700 annually, for a total of $1,805,690.57 a year for the school district.
If voters approve the increased operating levy, PAS plans to add a social worker, expand its preschool program, increase career and technical programming, fund the school resource officer and fund technology integration efforts.
If voters only pass the first question, the amount of property taxes currently paid by property owners would not change. If voters passed the first and second question, property taxes would increase. For example, a property valued at $100,000 would see an estimated property tax increase of $82.60.
If voters reject both questions on the ballot, the school district would lose $591,307.37 in operating revenue, which Kevin Enerson, PAS superintendent, said could result in reduced program offerings, increased class sizes and a higher student-to-teacher ratio.
If only the second question is approved and not the first, property taxes would decrease and the school district would lose $279,607 in annual funding.
Referendum operating levies apply equally to all properties regardless of classification, so the owners of a home or a commercial property valued at $100,000 would each pay the same amount of taxes toward the operating levy. Referendum operating levies only apply to the house and one acre of land for agricultural properties, and do not apply to seasonal recreational properties.

Ballot questions

Question 1: The board of Independent School District No. 2689 (Pipestone), Minnesota has proposed to renew the School District’s existing referendum revenue authorization of $474.26 per pupil that is scheduled to expire after taxes payable in 2017. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2017 for taxes payable in 2018 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
Shall the renewal of the expiring property tax referendum authorization proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 2689 (Pipestone), Minnesota be approved?
By voting “yes” on this ballot question, you are voting to extend an existing property tax referendum that is scheduled to expire.
Question 2: The board of Independent School District No. 2689 (Pipestone), Minnesota has proposed to increase its referendum revenue authorization by $250 per pupil. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.
Shall the increase in the referendum revenue authorization proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 2689 (Pipestone), Minnesota be approved?
By voting “yes” on this ballot question, you are voting for a property tax increase.

Voting will be held in the PAS middle/high school auditorium, 1401 Seventh St. SW, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.