The Bemidji School District will go forward with a referendum election.
This would be a special election, and all voters within the district will receive a notification, according to district staffer Krissi Fenner.
Fenner said the district receives about 60 percent of its revenue from the state, 4 percent from the federal government, and the other 36 percent through local levies.
An operating referendum is a 10-year investment and if passed, the new dollars would be available beginning in 2022-23.
The last referendum, attempted in November 2020, overwhelmingly failed, which led to the district’s budget cuts including the closure of Central Elementary School.
The new ask would be $460 per pupil, which would be enough to maintain existing programming and services.
