Revenue
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Minnesota’s Permanent School Fund Amendment: What Would It Mean for SoWashCo Schools?
The Key Takeaway Minnesota’s Permanent School Fund currently provides SoWashCo Schools about $1.4 million per year. A proposed constitutional amendment on the November 3, 2026 ballot would change how the fund’s annual distributions are calculated. If approved, the state would initially distribute 4.5% of the fund’s average value over the preceding three fiscal years, rather…
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What Did Voters Approve in 2023 & How Does It Shape SoWashCo’s Five-Year Plan?
The Key Takeaway In 2022, SoWashCo voters rejected a $462.7 million facilities proposal. In 2023, they approved a substantially narrower plan: $201.2 million in construction bonds focused on existing schools and a separate ten-year technology levy. The 2023 plan preserved Newport, Crestview, and Pine Hill as elementary schools; eliminated two replacement schools and several support-facility…
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Could an Operating Referendum Be Part of SoWashCo’s Five-Year Plan?
The Key Takeaway SoWashCo Schools has not announced a new operating referendum as of 8/26/26. However, the district’s remaining levy authority makes one a possible component of its five-year financial plan. Available state information suggests voters could authorize approximately $200 to $250 more per adjusted pupil unit, potentially generating about $4.0 million to $5.1 million…
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Operating Levy and Local Optional Revenue – What’s the Difference?
The Key Takeaway SoWashCo Schools already receives the maximum $724 per pupil available through board-authorized Local Optional Revenue. The district also receives approximately $2,098 per pupil through its voter-approved Operating Referendum. Available state data suggests SoWashCo’s Operating Referendum remains approximately $200 to $250 per pupil below the state limit. At the district’s current enrollment, reaching…
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Understanding Local Revenue: Property Taxes, Fees, and Other District Income
The Key Takeaway SoWashCo Schools budgeted $160.3 million in local revenue across all funds for 2026–27. However, that total includes several fundamentally different types of money. Approximately $96.0 million is budgeted in the General Fund, where local revenue supports regular district operations and several legally restricted programs. The remaining local revenue is assigned to other…
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Understanding Federal Aid: How Targeted Programs Support SoWashCo Schools
The Key Takeaway SoWashCo Schools budgeted approximately $10.9 million in federal aid for 2026–27. Unlike most state aid, federal funding is generally tied to specific students, services, or reimbursable expenses. It cannot simply be redirected to cover an unrelated budget shortfall. Federal aid supports programs including special education, academic intervention, educator development, English-language instruction, school…
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SoWashCo’s State Funding
The Key Takeaway Minnesota does not send school districts one unrestricted payment. State funding is assembled from many formulas. Some revenue follows enrollment and can support general operations, while other revenue is generated for specific students, services, or costs and must be used accordingly. In 2026–27 the district expects to receive $272.3 million in total…
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SoWashCo’s LTFM Construction Fund Is Nearly $12 Million Ahead of Plan. What Is the Money For?
The Key Takeaway The school district sells bonds to pay for Long-Term Facilities Maintenance (LTFM) construction projects. South Washington County Schools entered fiscal year 2026 with approximately $7.2 million more in its LTFM construction account than it had projected one year earlier, but it sold essentially the full planned principal amount of facilities-maintenance bonds anyway.…
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Decoding The School District Budget – Part 1: Where the Money Comes From
The Key Takeaway SoWashCo’s ongoing revenue comes from three sources: School district budgets can be intimidating. SoWashCo’s proposed 2026–27 budget contains hundreds of line items spread across multiple funds, with total revenue of approximately $443.7 million. Understanding where that money comes from (and what restrictions come with it) is the first step toward understanding the…