Dan Haglund

Dr. Brandon Lunak, superintendent of the Moorhead Area Public Schools (MAPS), makes no bones about it. The $4.3 million school levy referendum on the ballot Nov. 5 is of utmost importance.
“The passage of this levy in November, especially in the beginning of the levy, it would help stabilize our budget,” Lunak said. “It would allow us to continue to do the things we’re doing right now.”
He says passing the levy would infuse the needed funds into the next school budget cycle.
“If we miss this November, we would not be able to see the dollars until two budget cycles down the road,” Lunak said. “So we would actually have to go a whole school year without us seeing the revenue.”
“Currently, our unassigned balance is way below district policy, and this would help stabilize our budget. And as we build up our unassigned balance, then we would get to go in and think about innovative ways that we could utilize those dollars. One would be through curriculum, one would be through continuing to look at ways to make our buildings safer, one would be to maybe instead of purchasing one bus that we’re currently doing now, we’d get back to our regular schedule was in purchasing two buses (each year). So instead of having to figure out which 12 we’re going to keep when they’re past their prime, now we can continue to replace them on a 12-year cycle, which we’ve not been able to do since we’ve gotten behind.”
What this levy means for property owners is a nominal tax hike.
For homes with an assessed value of $250,000, the increase would be $180 per year, or $15 per month. For a commercial or industrial property assessed at the same value, the increase would be $339 per year, or $28 per month.

“If it fails on this attempt we would go back and take a look at what didn’t we do well,” Lunak said. “The challenge is when we look at going back and doing it again, we settled on the $4.3 million number based on a community survey. And that community survey had 55 percent support from (those who classify themselves as) an “active voter,” and had almost 75 percent support from a “very active voter.”
The Moorhead School Board unanimously voted to put a capital projects levy referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot, asking voters to consider funding a capital projects levy.
Capital Projects Levy is a term used in state law enabling school districts to seek voter authorization to provide funds for approved projects.
Approval of this referendum would provide critical funding to support school site improvements, safety, deferred maintenance, software, technology systems and curriculum updates.
These updates include: investing in innovative programing and staff training to optimize student learning and staff professional development; addressing deferred maintenance projects across 11 facilities, including roofing, HVAC, and security enhancements; replacing outdated devices and software and maintaining digital systems to support integrated, personalized learning; and replacing aging buses and vans to maintaining a safe and efficient transportation fleet for students.
“What we know today, if successful in November, that 10-year clock starts ticking,” Lunak said. “Now if there are any legislative changes that said it could be renewed by board approval similar to what our operating levy has undergone, then obviously it would change. But as of today, this would have a 10-year lifespan and we would have to bring it back to the voters no matter if we were asking for more or keeping it the same.”
“The biggest thing for us is to utilize those dollars to cover what we currently have in the budget without having to see any reductions in capital,” Lunak said. “It’ll also allow us to continue to look at the curriculum that we need to purchase. Some of those curriculum items are new requirements that are coming from the state, and there’s just not enough revenue coming from the state to make that large investment, such as the new READ Act that we had to invest in – which for us is about $1.6 million.”
Lunak said his district is only getting about $300,000 from the state in support of the new education mandate.
The READ Act is the Minnesota Reading to Ensure Academic Development Act, signed into law by Gov. Tim Walz in May 2023, with the goal of having every Minnesota child reading at or above grade level every year, beginning in kindergarten, and to support multilingual learners and students receiving special education services in achieving their individual reading goals in order to meet grade level proficiency. Moorhead currently has students who speak 42 different languages, and has a 40-percent minority student population.
Lunak also said a demographic study by the state’s first demographer Hazel Reinhardt shows that the school district will grow by about 100 students per year, placing the student population at about 8,400 in 10 years. MAPS currently has about 7,266 students.
“Part of what we’re doing is, we’re taking in all that information too as we’re planning and figuring out what our next steps will be, not just from a facilities standpoint but how do we manage from an operations standpoint,” Lunak said.
There is a widening gap between the cost of education and the funding available to districts. In addition to inflation, gaps from underfunding of special education, transportation and English learner services create additional financial pressure.
Many districts across the state use Capital Projects levy dollars to fill in the gap. MAPS does not currently receive any Capital Projects Levy funds and Operating levy funds have not increased since 2009.
The current MAPS budget gap is $9.5 million. The existing operating levy is $1.7 million, and the proposed Capital Projects levy at $4.3 million. And then there are $4 million in required budget cuts.
Fast facts about the levy:
Addressing Critical Needs: Funds will address deferred maintenance, ensuring safe and modern school environments.
Enhancing Educational Quality: The levy will provide essential funding for innovative curriculum, technology enhancements, facility improvements and transportation updates directly benefiting student learning.
Ensuring Safety and Efficiency: Enhancements in security systems and transportation ensure student safety and operational efficiency.
Fiscal Responsibility: The district’s current funding per pupil is lower than similarly sized districts across the state. The levy remains below comparable districts, demonstrating responsible financial planning.
Investing in Technology: Sustainable funding for updating devices and software, keeping staff and students safe and preparing them for a digital future.
Long-term Stability: The levy supports the district’s long-term goals, stabilizing financial health and resource availability. Securing the levy is essential for future-proofing the district, ensuring students have access to modern curriculum, technology and facilities necessary for a high-quality education.