By Lori EhdeLuverne School District residents will head to the polls Tuesday to support or reject a proposed $700 per pupil operating referendum.There will be one main polling place for all district residents, and that will be the Luverne High School-Middle School gymnasium.Polls open at 10 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.Superintendent Gary Fisher said Tuesday that one more information piece on the referendum will be distributed to district property owners this weekend."We’ve tried to do as much as we can, but at this point, I’m hoping people in the community will vote with their hearts," Fisher said."This is an important vote for the community."Through direct mailings, published legal notices, news stories in the paper and on radio, published commentaries and even a phone campaign, Fisher said he hopes the public is informed about the referendum."We’re hoping we’ve provided enough information for voters," Fisher said.He said one point that needs reiterating is that the state pays half of the levy, if it’s approved. Of the $700 referendum, the state will pay $323.27 per pupil, and the the local effort will be $376.39."It’s one of those things where taxpayers have already paid that money to the state, and someone’s going to get those dollars," Fisher said. "We might as well bring some of that money back to the district."Luverne School District is among 81 districts statewide proposing operating referendums to pay bills.If approved, Luverne’s $700 per pupil operating levy will bring $900,000 per year to the district for up to 10 years.School Board members and administration say this is the amount necessary to make ends meet. Last year, Luverne spent $7,660 per student compared with the state average of $8,379.On a $100,000 home in Rock County, the referendum would require roughly an additional $200 per year, or about $17 per month.If approved, the referendum will affect taxes on agricultural property based only on the value of the house, garage and one acre.
