Duluth Public School Board Votes On Possible Referendum

DULUTH, Minn.–The Duluth Public School Board Members voted earlier today for plans for a potential school referendum.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, temporary ESSER funds helped the Duluth Public Schools take that step forward into a 21st century learning environment. Duluth Public Schools Superintendent John Magas said that the referendum’s plan is to keep Duluth Public Schools up to date with newer textbooks and to further raise graduation rates. 

“We look at what our students have had in the past few years with some of the ESSER funding. All of that is going to be going away in the next couple of years, and so we want to make sure that we have the devices for kids that we have been using,” said Magas. “Obviously the money for our mental support and all of those things like reading interventionists and math interventionists are so important for our students.”

As part of the referendum, Duluth Public Schools asks the public to make an investment into their community.

“So it’s basically two questions that don’t really function separately, they’re intertwined. So the refinancing our bonds, we actually have some bonds that are going to drop off in 2028. So we would be asking taxpayers to forgo part of that change in our tax structure, just for two years,” said Magas.

The Duluth Public School Board voted to pass the referendum. Superintendent Magas said that Duluth Public Schools will hold informational meetings prior to the public’s voting in November.