Less than 15% of eligible voters in the Prior Lake-Savage Area School District responded to a survey soliciting feedback on student resources and support for funding to be increased through a future operating levy.

School board members authorized district staff to proceed with the survey in mid-April to assess potential support for a future levy and provide guidance in prioritizing resources. The online survey garnered 2,227 votes from eligible voters within the district, of which 1,846 indicated they had at least one child enrolled in a district school, while the remaining 381 did not, according to Director of Assessment and Improvement Dr. Jenelle Zumbusch.

Survey participants were given five financial support options that could be considered in a referendum vote. The projected dollar amounts ranged from no support to $67 per month on a home valued at $525,000. Nearly 80% of the respondents who have children going to school in the district said they would support an operating levy, and nearly half expressed approval for the highest amount.

Voters with and without children attending local schools highlighted three top priorities if additional funding was approved. They included: reducing class sizes, increasing academic supports and maintaining current programming.

The survey asked about the key factors that influence a levy vote and voters. Transparency and specific use of funds topped the list, followed by cost, tax impact and affordability; distrust in spending; general support for education; and program preservation/avoiding further cuts.

Zumbusch said the survey provided an opportunity for residents to identify their priorities, with the following themes identified:

• Specific program preservation and expansion (MnCAPS, Spanish Immersion, SAGE)
• Teacher and staff support (retention, staffing levels, compensation)
• Academic quality and instructional effectiveness (Tier 1 instruction, standards aligned, improved proficiency rates)
• Arts, electives and enrichment programs (music, band, choir, media, electives, field trips)
• No more cuts (stabilize funding, stop cutting, reduce spending)
• Special education (IEP support, lifeskills, more support)

Following Zumbusch’s presentation, board members expressed disappointment in the lack of responses received from district voters.

Board member Charles Johnson said that while the survey did provide some good direction, it did not reach a target population, namely those residents who do not have children attending school in the district.

Other board members expressed similar concerns, including Dustin Smith, who said “whatever number we decide on, there is a point where our job is not to solicit more feedback, but to lead and convey why we chose an amount.”

“I don’t feel strongly this is a representative sample since the vast majority (of survey responders) had kids in the district,” Zumbusch said, adding that the survey conducted after the last referendum vote that did not pass concluded residents had uncertainty about how the funds were going to be used.

A decision on whether to proceed with putting an operating levy in front of voters will need to be made by the board no later than Aug. 11, 2026, in order for the issue to be included on the November ballot.