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Perham-Dent Schools 549 United
Our Opportunity
Cost & Tax Impact
Voting
FAQs
Connect
Perham-Dent Schools 549 United
Our Opportunity
Cost & Tax Impact
Voting
FAQs
Connect
Our Opportunity
Cost & Tax Impact
Voting
FAQs
Connect

Our Opportunity: The 549 United Investment Plan

The 549 United Plan reflects our district's commitment to responsible planning and investments in our students and their futures. This November, the school board will ask voters to consider a new opportunity to access $745,965 in new revenue to support school operations, while also reducing local school property taxes. These dollars will go toward things our community values, like small class sizes, essential student services, and strong academic and extracurricular programs.

Thanks to a new state program, close to half of the proposed voter-approved operating levy would be paid by the State of Minnesota. This funding would allow our district to invest in classroom education, maintain student programs, and support our teachers and staff.

If approved, the operating levy would provide stable, long-term support for classroom instruction, student programs and activities, and the day-to-day operations that keep Perham-Dent Schools strong.

How We Got Here

  • Perham-Dent has long been cautious about asking voters for a new operating levy, working instead to protect programs through careful, transparent budgeting.

  • A new Minnesota program changed that: because seasonal recreation properties make up more than 15% of our tax base, the district can now access state aid covering up to 50% of a voter-approved levy — bringing new revenue home at no added cost to local taxpayers.

  • After reviewing district finances and consulting financial advisors, the board built a plan that maximizes state support and delivers a tax decrease for residents, then voted to place it on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

The Cost & Tax Impact

The proposed operating levy is designed to bring more state funding back to Perham-Dent Schools while reducing the local tax impact. If approved by voters this November, the operating levy will generate $1,135 per student, or about $745,965 in new revenue for the district per year for the next 10 years. Thanks to a new program in Minnesota, the state would pay for half of the approved levy amount, significantly easing the burden on local taxpayers.

Because the school board has committed to reducing existing local levies, most residents and businesses will see an overall decrease in their school-related property taxes.

For a home valued at $400,000, the estimated tax impact is a decrease of about $13 per year. Local businesses would also see a reduction in their school-related property taxes. Taxes on seasonal recreation properties would remain unchanged.

Voting Information

Make Your Voice Heard!

Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

  • Absentee ballot voting (in person or via mail) is available starting Friday, Sept. 18.

  • Early in-person voting begins Friday, Oct. 16.

  • You can vote on Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 3) at your regular polling location.

 

Frequently Asked Questions

  • An operating levy is a voter-approved funding source that supports the day-to-day components of education, including academics, student services, activities, and the teachers and staff who make it all possible.

  • If approved by voters, Perham-Dent's operating levy would go toward the day-to-day costs of running the district: classroom instruction, student services, activities and the teachers and staff who deliver them. The levy is projected to generate $1,135 per student, or about $745,965 in new annual revenue, each year for the next 10 years, providing stable, long-term support for academics and extracurricular programs rather than a one-time infusion.

  • It's a new Minnesota program that allows school districts like Perham-Dent — where seasonal recreation properties such as cabins and vacation homes make up more than 15% of the property tax base — to receive state aid covering up to 50% of a voter-approved operating levy.

  • This November, the district is asking voters to consider an operating levy to fund the academics, athletics and programs we take pride in, and to take advantage of a new Minnesota program that brings state dollars home while easing the burden on local taxpayers.

  • Because the school board has committed to reducing other local levies, most residents will see an overall decrease in their school-related property taxes. For a home valued at $400,000, the estimated tax impact is a decrease of about $13 per year. Local businesses would also see a reduction in their school-related property taxes. Taxes on seasonal recreation properties would remain unchanged.

  • Because cabin and vacation home properties are taxed separately from other local levies, with some of their property taxes going to the state, a traditional operating levy would have placed a disproportionate share of the cost on year-round residents and businesses. Over the past 25 years, the district asked voters to consider an operating levy and it was not approved.

    The school board has instead worked to protect classroom programs and student services through careful budgeting — until this new state program made a more balanced approach possible.

  • Tuesday, November 3, 2026.

  • Yes! Early voting begins Friday, September 18, 2026.

  • Explore this website or use the Connect form to submit a question.

Connect with Us

Have a question or comment for us? We want to hear from you. Use the connect form below.

Prepared and paid for by Perham-Dent Public School District, 800 Coney Street W, Perham, MN 56573.