FAQs

An operating levy provides funding for the day-to-day operations of the school district, including staff, programs, and student services.

• This operating levy would provide an additional  $375 per pupil per year for 10 years. That means the district would receive additional funding for the day-to-day operations of the school district, including staff, programs, and student services.
  • State funding has not kept pace with inflation
    Since 2003, state funding has not kept pace with inflation, reducing the district’s purchasing power for over 20 years while unfunded mandates continue to place additional strain on our schools.
  • Costs for staffing, programming, and student support continue to increase
    Having made $5 million in budget adjustments over the last three years, the district can no longer sustain this pace while continuing to provide a high-quality education that effectively serves all students.
  • The levy would provide additional local funding to help maintain the high standard of excellence the community expects from Centennial Schools.

If approved, the operating levy would help support:

• Classroom instruction and staffing, including maintaining class sizes
• Sustain academic programs
• Student services to support the diverse needs of individual learners
• Transportation and operational costs

All current and future programs in Centennial Schools are researched and implemented with an eye toward wise financial stewardship and the ability to sustain them for students. If approved, the operating levy would be used to maintain current programming and support improvements to existing programs to better meet student needs through curriculum and resource development. The district would continue to consider new educational programs, but those would be developed and implemented using existing district resources, not operating levy funds.

If approved by voters, each referendum question would result in a separate property tax impact. For an average-valued home in Centennial Schools ($397,256), the estimated monthly tax impact for the Operating Levy would be approximately $15.55 per month. To see how the operating levy would impact your property, see our tax calculator. 

Maintaining reasonable class sizes is important because it allows teachers to build strong relationships with students and provide individualized support.

The proposed operating levy is not intended to significantly reduce class sizes. Instead, it will help the district maintain current staffing levels and help prevent class sizes from increasing as operating costs continue to rise.

Today, the vast majority of Centennial classrooms are already within the district's class size guidelines. Without additional operating revenue, future staffing reductions could result in larger class sizes and more classrooms exceeding those guidelines. 

Through School Board Policy 536, the district establishes class size targets to ensure Centennial is being efficient with staffing resources. The School Board annually allocates $600,000 to support needed staffing adjustments. Targets are regularly reviewed based on enrollment and available revenue. District administrators monitor enrollment throughout the year and make staffing adjustments, when feasible, to keep class sizes within these targets.

The proposed Operating Levy in Question 1 would help the district preserve teaching positions and help prevent class sizes from increasing over time.

See the 2025-26 Class Sizes at a Glance snapshot below.

Yes. The Constitutional Amendment and Centennial’s operating levy are two separate ballot questions that address school funding in different ways.

The statewide Constitutional Amendment would change how funds from Minnesota’s Permanent School Fund are distributed to public schools. If approved, Centennial is estimated to receive approximately $185,000 in additional annual funding, or about $28 per student.

While any additional state funding would help, it would not address the financial need identified by Centennial. The district continues to face rising costs for staffing, programming, student services, transportation, and day-to-day operations. Over the past three years, Centennial has made approximately $5 million in budget adjustments as costs have increased and state funding has not kept pace. Read more about the district's fiscal realities

Question 1 on Centennial’s ballot is a separate local operating levy that would provide approximately $2.4 million annually, or $375 per pupil, to help maintain current staffing, academic programs, student services, class sizes, and district operations.

Read more about the Question 1 (Operating Levy).

The outcome of the Constitutional Amendment does not change Centennial’s referendum proposal or the financial need Question 1 is designed to address.

LEARN MORE:

Official Ballot Information for Constitutional Amendment

The Minnesota Secretary of State provides the official ballot language, proposed constitutional changes and other election information.

View information from the Minnesota Secretary of State

Additional Information from Minnesota Education Organizations

The Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA), Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), Minnesota Association of School Administrators (MASA) and Minnesota Rural Education Association (MREA) have developed additional information about the Permanent School Fund and the proposed constitutional amendment.

View information from Minnesota education organizations

Centennial Schools provides these links for voter information and does not advocate for or against the proposed constitutional amendment.

Centennial property owners fund the local property tax portion of the district’s operating levy. However, Minnesota’s school funding system also accounts for the students a district actually serves, including students who open enroll from another district.

When a student open enrolls in Centennial, state education funding associated with that student generally follows the student to Centennial. Operating referendum funding also accounts for open enrollment through the state’s use of adjusted pupil units. Students who open enroll into Centennial are included in the enrollment used to calculate Centennial’s operating referendum revenue, while Centennial resident students who attend another district are not.

Open enrollment also has a positive financial impact on Centennial. Additional revenue generated through increased enrollment helps support competitive staff compensation and sustain academic programs and services that benefit all Centennial students. Maintaining healthy enrollment also helps the district make efficient use of staffing and other resources.

If approved, each question would have a property tax impact. The exact amount depends on your property value

. Learn more by visiting the Tax Impact page

Property taxes are paid by property owners. Renters may experience indirect impacts depending on rental agreements.

Cities and counties are separate taxing jurisdictions from the school district, and their funding is determined separately. Unlike school districts, cities and counties are not currently subject to general levy limits, so their local elected officials set their own property tax levies independently of the district's referendum questions.