Voters to decide on school levy

Voters will decide this fall whether Saint Paul Public Schools will be allotted more funding under a proposed levy amendment.
SPPS will need to make budget reductions of at least $37 million in cuts to staffing and programs across the district for school year 2026-27, with more cuts in future years, to maintain a balanced budget if the levy is not approved
According to the school district, state funding for public schools has not kept pace with increased educational needs and costs for the past 20 years. This has created a funding gap of $50 million per year.
Last year’s budget included $707.5 million in general fund expenses – $114.6 million less than the prior year. Much of the deficit is due to funds from the American Rescue Plan federal funding that expired in September 2024. This year the general fund is $767 million, an increase of $17.9 million from the previous year. The 2025 total adopted budget was $1.037 billion, and the 2026 budget is $1.029 billion, a decrease of $7.6 million.
SPPS is currently facing a $51.1 million deficit for the current academic year. With the proposed levy, $37.2 million would be generated annually for the next decade beginning with the 2026-27 academic school year with annual inflation increases. This breaks down to approximately $1,073 per pupil, according to an SPPS handout. SPPS ranks second lowest in operating referendum compared with other major Minnesota schools, despite being the second largest school district in the state.
Seventy percent of school funding in Saint Paul comes from the state. Property taxes and federal aid rounds out the remaining funding, according to the SPPS FY Budget 26 booklet.
Early voting started on Sept. 19. You can vote by mail or in person. Find your voting location and further information on the Ramsey County elections website.
In early July, the school board authorized the district to seek a referendum. Polling from residents was clear that they would be in favor of the levy to keep important programs such as music and arts according to SPPS Superintendent Stacie Stanley.
“This referendum is not about the icing on the cake. It is about the cake itself,” Stanley said.
If the referendum passes, the funds will become part of the district’s general fund. The general fund is the largest fund in the school district’s budget, and pays for staff wages and benefits, utilities and maintenance, transportation, curriculum and classroom equipment, administrative costs and other essential functions.
According to the district, if the levy doesn’t pass it will look at cutting at least $37 million from staffing and programs across the district for school year 2026-27, with more in future years, to maintain a balanced budget. This will include reduction in services such as transportation, security and additional academic supports.
The last referendum SPPS requested in 2018 was approved by voters.
The levy is separate from city and state property tax increases. An estimated $26 per month or $309 per year on a $289,200 value home would be the tax impact for Saint Paul residents.
Taken together, the proposed tax increases from the city, county and the district’s levy for a median value home equal about $50 per month. For every dollar in taxes, 35 cents goes to the city, 33 cents to the county, 23 cents to the school district, and 9 cents to other taxing authorities.
Homeowners may be eligible for a property tax refund from the Minnesota Department of Revenue in 2026.
Quintin Wathum-Ocama, a kindergarten teacher at Maxfield Elementary and lifelong St. Paul resident, said he has seen the funding cuts in recent years firsthand. Arts specialists and support staff positions have taken some hits, he said.
Wathum-Ocama believes that the levy is a lifeline, and he hopes it will continue to also reduce class sizes.
When asked about how he and his students would be affected if the levy does not pass, Wathum-Ocama said, “It would be a drastic effect for our cities and communities and it would be a full city wide effect on academics and programming.”
He has hope for the future of SPPS schools and believes real change is possible with this levy.
“Strong schools are the cornerstone of the community,” Wathum-Ocama said.