Listening, Learning, and Moving Forward

In May 2026, South St. Paul Public Schools held a special election asking voters to consider two ballot questions related to the district’s facilities and long-term needs. The first requested authorization for up to $50 million in bonds to address deferred maintenance, safety and accessibility improvements, building systems, learning spaces and other facility needs. The second asked voters to renew the district’s existing Capital Projects Levy, which supports technology, safety and security, deferred maintenance, curriculum materials and other capital needs.

Neither ballot question was approved by voters. While the election determined that the proposed funding would not move forward, the district’s facility needs remain. It also raised important questions about how we plan for those needs, communicate about district finances and facilities, and engage our community in that work.

Following the election, SSPPS asked our community to share feedback through a Post-Election Bond Survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to respond. Your perspectives are helping inform how we move forward.

In September, the School Board dedicated a special work session to reviewing the survey results and comments in greater depth. Board members considered feedback from both those who supported the ballot questions and those who did not, looking for areas where we can learn, strengthen communication and build greater understanding moving forward.

What We Heard

Several themes emerged from the community feedback:

• Facility needs and long-term maintenance
• Tax impact and broader financial concerns
• Understanding district finances and funding
• Academic achievement and progress
• Communication and community trust
• Clarity around district priorities and needs

The Board then moved from reviewing the feedback to discussing what the district can do with it. That work was organized into Now, Next, and Later, recognizing that some efforts can begin immediately, while others require additional planning and community engagement.

Turning Feedback Into Action

• Now: Strengthen education and communication around district finances and facilities, academic progress and district outcomes, while continuing to share and celebrate student achievement and successes.
• Next: Expand opportunities for community outreach, listening and engagement, while continuing to build understanding of district funding, its limitations and how resources support students and learning.
• Later: Continue considering longer-term strategies related to future facility funding needs and community engagement. These are not intended to be a checklist or a final plan. Rather, they provide direction for how the district and School Board can continue learning from the feedback and carrying that work forward.

Finance & Facilities Communication Series

One of the first areas of work is already beginning- Strengthening education and communication around district finances and facilities.
School finance is complex. District funding comes from multiple local, state and federal sources, and different funding sources have different requirements for how dollars can be used. Facilities planning has its own layers, including ongoing maintenance, long-term capital needs, available funding and decisions about how and when projects are addressed.

As part of our commitment to transparency and in response to the community feedback we received, SSPPS is launching a Finance & Facilities Communication Series called “Engage, Educate, and Empower our Packer Community” to make this information more accessible and easier to understand.

What does it take to engage, educate, and empower our Packer community? It takes people, programs, services, buildings, technology, and many other resources… Behind all of those things are financial decisions. Understanding how school finance works can help our community better understand how South St. Paul Public Schools plans for today, prepares for the future, and makes responsible decisions about public resources.

Stay tuned to the website, newsletters, social media, and SixTimes over the coming months.