MINNEAPOLIMEDIA NEWS | More Than 3,000 Residents Urge Anoka-Hennepin School Board to Let Voters Decide on School Levy

ANOKA, MN (June 29, 2026) A grassroots campaign led by parents in the Anoka-Hennepin School District has delivered more than 3,000 signatures to the district's School Board, urging members to place a school operating levy referendum before voters this November as educators confront mounting financial pressures and years of budget reductions.

The petition, organized by the community advocacy group Parents for Good, comes as Minnesota's largest school district continues to grapple with structural budget challenges driven by inflation, the expiration of federal pandemic relief funding and relatively flat student enrollment. While the petition demonstrates growing public support for additional local school funding, Minnesota law makes clear that only the School Board, not a citizen petition, has the authority to place an operating levy on the ballot.

District officials say the School Board must act before Aug. 11 if it intends to place an operating levy before voters during the Nov. 3, 2026 General Election. That deadline has intensified discussion among board members, administrators and residents as they weigh whether to ask taxpayers to approve additional funding for public schools.

Parents Say Community Should Have the Final Say

Supporters of the petition say their effort is less about advocating for a specific tax increase than ensuring voters have the opportunity to decide whether additional local investment is warranted.

"We recognize the difficult decisions this board has faced," Michelle Powers, co-founder of Parents for Good, told the School Board during its June 22 meeting. "We know that balancing budgets while meeting the needs of students is not easy. At the same time, after more than $22 million in cuts and the loss of more than 275 positions, many community members believe it is time to give the voters the opportunity to weigh in on the future of school funding."

Powers said volunteers collected signatures from residents across the district representing different neighborhoods, political viewpoints and community backgrounds, reflecting what organizers describe as broad concern over the district's financial outlook.

District Faces Continuing Financial Pressures

The petition follows several years of difficult financial decisions within the Anoka-Hennepin School District.

District leaders have reduced spending by more than $22 million over recent budget cycles, eliminating hundreds of positions while attempting to preserve classroom instruction and student services. Administrators have cited inflation, the loss of one-time federal COVID-19 relief dollars and slower enrollment growth as major contributors to the district's fiscal challenges.

Supporters of a referendum argue that additional operating revenue would help stabilize staffing, maintain educational programming and avoid further reductions affecting students.

Opponents, however, contend that taxpayers are already carrying a significant property tax burden and believe the district should demonstrate stronger academic outcomes and continued fiscal discipline before seeking additional local revenue.

What the Proposed Levy Would Do

According to information presented by the advocacy group, the proposed referendum contains two ballot questions.

The first would authorize an operating levy of $756.63 per adjusted pupil unit, generating more than $30 million annually for district operations.

The second question would authorize an additional $275 per adjusted pupil unit, producing roughly $11 million per year.

For the owner of a $400,000 home, supporters estimate the combined proposal would increase property taxes by approximately $37 per month. District officials have indicated that the larger request would represent the most significant operating levy proposal in Anoka-Hennepin's history if placed before voters.

School Board Holds the Decision

Despite the petition's size, Minnesota election law does not permit residents to compel a school funding referendum through petition alone.

Jim Skelly, spokesperson for the Anoka-Hennepin School District, said district officials appreciate community engagement but emphasized that operating levy elections "can only be commenced by action of the school board, but not voter petition."

That means the petition serves as an advisory expression of community support rather than a legally binding requirement.

The School Board is expected to continue discussing the proposal before deciding whether to adopt a formal resolution placing the levy on the November ballot. Because the statutory filing deadline falls on Aug. 11, board members have only a limited window to reach a decision.

A Familiar Debate Returns

School funding referendums have become a recurring feature of Minnesota's education finance system as districts seek local voter approval to supplement state funding.

Anoka-Hennepin voters last approved additional operating support through the district's 2017 "Fit for the Future" initiative, which financed additional classroom space, expanded staffing and school facility improvements. In 2021, voters rejected a proposed operating levy increase while approving renewal of two existing levies.

Whether the district returns to voters this fall will now depend entirely on the School Board's decision over the coming weeks.

For supporters, the petition represents an effort to preserve educational opportunities before additional reductions become necessary. For opponents, it raises broader questions about taxation, accountability and long-term fiscal management.

With the Aug. 11 deadline approaching, the School Board's decision will determine whether one of Minnesota's largest and most closely watched school funding debates moves from the boardroom to the ballot box this November.

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