Vote in Our School Board Special Election
Our community has an important special election taking place on November 7th that will have a big impact on our local schools. I spent 35 years teaching in the Chisago Lakes School District and 6 years in another district. Before I became part of the local teaching staff, my wife and I lived in the district for 5 years. Both before and after joining the local staff, we recognized that Chisago Lakes schools were providing much more than a basic education for our students. We have a long history of being a statewide leader in many areas. We have a history of strong test scores. But, perhaps the most telling statistic that speaks to the quality of our schools is the number of former students that come back to the Chisago Lakes community to raise their families.
No one wants to increase their tax burden. The only chance Minnesota citizens get to vote directly on taxes is that of school funding. While this creates a tremendous burden on schools to convince the public of their needs, it can also be a great way for the community as a whole to provide the funding to make their schools as strong as possible.
We are voting "YES" on question 1 because we want safe schools and we want to protect the investment our community has made in its school buildings. Building costs have skyrocketed for homeowners and this is even more true for our schools. Building improvements and repairs will only be more expensive in the future.
We are voting "YES" on question 2 because our district needs greater funding to attract and keep quality teaching staff and to maintain current programs. Our per pupil funding amount is one of the lowest in the state of Minnesota. The district has been cutting staff and programs for the last 4 years. We desperately need to move in a positive funding direction.
We are voting for SARAH AADLAND to continue serving on the school board. Sarah has been a very positive contributor on the board as she stepped in twice to fill unexpected vacancies. She cares deeply about our community's students. She is dedicated to keeping the Chisago Lakes area one of the best places to raise a family.
We have confidence that the Chisago Lakes community will provide what our schools need!
