Monday, November 9, 2015

Community Supported Technology Funding for Minnetonka Public Schools: Voters Pass 10 Year Renewal of Technology Referendum


Last week on election day, Tuesday, November 3, the Minnetonka community voted in favor of renewing our current technology referendum. This levy was first passed in 2002, then voted for renewal in 2007 for 10 years, and now again passed a vote for renewal for another decade of funding. An incredible 72.8% of the community voted in favor of this funding renewal. In addition, 71.6% of voters voted in favor of increasing the annual operating levy, also for 10 years. This operating levy is 13% of our total budget. 

The technology levy funds 100% of our technology expenditures in Minnetonka. It includes the salaries of our tech department staff, our instructional technology staff, all of our technology professional development, training for teachers and staff, pays for services like our learning management system, Schoology, our student information system, Skyward, iPad apps and our mobile device management system, as well as our iPads themselves in our 1:1 program, plus other hardware items like servers, switches, laptops and carts, etc. We have carefully planned our spending of this technology levy and budget accordingly in the past and will continue to do so. The dedicated funding for has allowed us to invest in technology and carry out long term plans. 

A huge number of parents and community members volunteered and worked tirelessly over the past many months to inform the community about the need for the operating levy and the renewal of the technology levy. We are fortunate in Minnetonka to have the support of our community and thankful for an additional 10 years of funding to continue to do our work!

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