Minnesota election results: Rochester school referendum passed by voters

Voters in Rochester have passed a referendum that school district officials said is needed to help keep class sizes low, preserve employees and potentially keep schools from closing.

Find other election results here.

Vote results

A total of 39,838 people voted for the measure, allowing it to pass with 57% of the vote. The votes against the measure reached 30,058, or 43% of the total vote. You can find the results of the election here

Rochester residents also elected three new school board members:

  • Don Barlow earned 38,171 votes, or 68.53% of the total, in the race for School Board Member Position 1.
  • Karen MacLaughlin earned 33,577 votes, or 58.84% of the total, in the race for School Board Member Position 3.
  • Stephanie M. Whitehorn earned 31,830 votes, or 58.82% of the total, in the race for School Board Member Position 7.

Background

Rochester officials said the referendum will inject more than $19 million a year into the school district’s coffers, which would help prevent district building closures, among other efforts.

The measure will raise property taxes on a $350,000 home by $29 a month, according to the district.

A similar measure called for $10 million per year via a levy that would be focused exclusively on equipment and technology, but it failed in November 2023.

After voters rejected the measure, Mayo Clinic donated the $10 million, allowing the district to stave off school closures and avoid other cuts.

Throughout its last two years, the district has made $21 million in budget cuts already.

2024 ElectionEducationPoliticsRochester