Several Minnesota school districts get the go ahead to build
Several of the state's school districts got approval from voters Tuesday to move forward with big construction projects, security improvements and technology initiatives paid for in part with money from local taxpayers.
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In Robbinsdale, voters approved a $3.5 million bonding package to pay for new technology in the district's classrooms over the next decade.
In the Rushford-Peterson district, voters approved $38 million to help pay for a new school.
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Taxpayers in the Centennial district approved $50 million for school remodeling and security improvements.
Mora voters turned down that district's request for $18 million to help build a new school.
For many districts the bonding requests seek to ease overcrowding, especially in elementary schools.
There's been a higher than normal number of school bonding requests in Minnesota this year. That's because 22 districts already put bonding questions on the ballot before Election Day. Fifteen passed, giving districts more than $400 million in taxpayer funds to start construction projects.
Meanwhile Minnesota had only 39 operating levies on the ballot yesterday, the fewest number of such requests since 1995.
Voters in Worthington, St. Anthony-New Brighton and Robbinsdale were among those who approved levies. Similar measures failed in Truman and Round Lake-Brewster.