Brooklyn Park to vote on school technology levy renewal in November
The Brooklyn Park City Council discussed renewing a decade-old technology funding measure on Monday, with community members emphasizing how digital tools have become essential to modern education. Voters will decide the levy's fate on November 5th.
The council held no formal vote during the August 26th meeting, instead using the session to build support for a proposed 10-year technology levy that would replace the current one, set to expire at the end of the school year. The existing levy, approved in 2014, has funded student learning technologies and school safety equipment like cameras and radios.
School administrators stressed that renewing the levy is critical to avoid a $6.6 million funding gap. "It means $6.6 million that currently we are using to help fund technology won't be available," an administrator said during the meeting. They also reassured residents that the renewal would not increase tax rates. "The tax rate will not change," the administrator stated.
Speakers highlighted technology's role in both learning and safety. A teacher testified that digital tools allow her to "meet the needs of individual learners better than ever because of technology." School officials noted the levy would fund not just classroom devices but also security infrastructure to "keep our students and staff as safe as possible."
Community support appears strong. A recent survey found that 70% of respondents identified technology as important for learning. Speakers compared modern educational technology to fundamental classroom supplies, suggesting it is no longer optional but essential.
Residents will cast their votes on or before November 5th. The outcome will determine whether schools can maintain current technology programs or face significant budget cuts.
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Discussion on Technology Levy Renewal
Speakers underscored the essential role of technology in modern education, likening it to fundamental tools like notebooks and pencils. The impending expiration of the 2014 technology levy prompted a proposal for a new 10-year levy, crucial for maintaining advanced learning tools and enhancing school safety through secure entrances, cameras, and radios. It was explicitly stated that the tax rate would remain unchanged. The financial implications of non-approval, including a $6.6 million funding deficit, were highlighted. Evidence of strong community support for educational technology, derived from a recent survey, was also presented, alongside the benefits for teacher efficiency and overall student success.
the tax rate will not change.
our cameras, our radios, and other technologies that will help ensure that we've got the tools to keep our students and staff as safe as possible.
I'm able to meet the needs of individual learners better than ever because of technology.
it means $6.6 million that currently we are using to help fund technology won't be available.
70% of those said that technology is really important for learning.
Source document
[0:02] - [Narrator] Technology today for our kids
[0:03] is as useful as a notebook,
as useful as a pencil,
[0:06] and it's a daily contributor
to our kids' learning.
[0:09] - If you want an effective
learning environment,
[0:13] technology would have
to be a part of that.
[0:16] - The current technology
levy was approved in 2014,
[0:20] and at that time we used those funds
[0:22] to ensure that our students
had learning technologies
[0:25] that would advance their success.
[0:26] The current levy will expire
at the end of this school year,
[0:29] so we're seeking approval for
an additional 10-year levy
[0:33] where we can continue
to support our students
[0:35] and give them what they
need in terms of learning
[0:38] and in terms of a safe and
secure learning environment.
[0:42] I think it's really important
[0:43] for the community to understand
[0:45] that the tax rate will not change.
[0:49] - So we use technology all the time.
[0:51] My students are accessing databases
[0:53] to get their different perspectives
[0:55] and learn the complexities of issues.
[0:58] - You could be very creative,
[1:00] because you get to do art with it,
[1:02] you get to do math,
[1:03] and you get to use other programs
[1:07] that you could use for school
[1:09] and that will help you with
your learning in a fun way.
[1:12] - The importance of this
levy is that, as a parent,
[1:15] I need to know that my child
is safe when she is at school.
[1:19] - The students need to know
that this is a safe place to be
[1:22] and they can learn.
[1:23] We wanna make sure that
we advance and enhance
[1:27] what we currently are
doing around school safety,
[1:29] ensuring that we have secure
entrances, our cameras,
[1:32] our radios, and other technologies
[1:34] that will help ensure
that we've got the tools
[1:37] to keep our students and
staff as safe as possible.
[1:39] One of the things that
is important to staff
[1:41] is that they're supported:
[1:42] they're supported with strong technology,
[1:44] they're supported with systems
[1:46] that help them be really efficient
[1:48] in some of the work that they do,
[1:50] so that they can spend
their precious minutes
[1:52] that are needed working
with students directly.
[1:55] - [Teacher] I'm able to meet the needs
[1:57] of individual learners better than ever
[1:59] because of technology.
[2:03] - If the technology levy
is not approved by voters,
[2:06] it means $6.6 million that
currently we are using
[2:10] to help fund technology
won't be available.
[2:14] When we asked last year
about how best to use funds
[2:17] associated with the capital projects levy,
[2:20] what we heard overwhelmingly
[2:22] through the almost 1,000
people who took the survey,
[2:24] 70% of those said that technology
[2:27] is really important for learning.
[2:29] We know technology plays a huge role
[2:32] in what each one of us
does every single day,
[2:34] and that's not going to change.
[2:35] - [Teacher] You get out
of it what you put in.
[2:38] We want to be the district
that people want to go to.
[2:42] - We love our families that we serve,
[2:43] and we want to set them up
[2:46] for the best success in the future.
[2:48] So whether they're going on
[2:49] to further themselves in education
[2:51] or going into the workforce,
[2:53] it looks like supporting technology
[2:56] and integrating technology
into everything we do.
[3:00] - [Presenter] Learn all you can
[3:01] about this upcoming
technology levy renewal,
[3:04] and remember to vote on
or before November 5th.
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