A Q&A about the Roseville Area Schools technology levy
A deep dive into the district's $60 million request
This election, residents in the Roseville Area School district will be voting yes or no on a capital projects levy to provide $6 million per year for 10 years for security and technology-related expenses
Early voting has started and the last day to vote is on Election Day: Tuesday, November 4.
If you have questions about what the levy is for and why the district says they need it, look no further! The Roseville Reader dug into the information, researched other districts with technology levies, and sat down with Superintendent Jenny Loeck, Director of Business Services Shari Thompson, Executive Director of Communications Carrie Ardito, and Roseville Area School Board Chair Todd Anderson, to get the inside scoop.
Here's everything you need to know about the requested Roseville Area Schools capital projects levy for technology:
What’s the ballot question?
Below is the text of the question that will appear on your ballot if you live in the Roseville Area School District (ISD #623)
Approval of Capital Project Levy Authorization for Technology
The school board of Independent School District No. 623 (Roseville Area Schools) has proposed a capital levy authorization of 5.808% times the net tax capacity of the school district. The additional revenue from the proposed capital project levy authorization will be used to provide funds for the acquisition, installation, replacement, support and maintenance of software, computers, mobile devices, network connectivity, improved safety, security and cybersecurity systems, Wi-Fi networks, data storage, website updates, office and instructional technology, and to pay the costs of technology-related personnel and training. The proposed capital project levy authorization will raise approximately $6,000,000 for taxes payable in 2026, the first year it is to be levied, and would be authorized for ten years. The estimated total cost of the projects to be funded over that time period is approximately $60,000,000.
Who gets to vote on this ballot question?
Voters who live in the Roseville Area School District, which includes parts of Roseville, Arden Hills, Shoreview, Lauderdale, Falcon Heights, Maplewood, and Little Canada.
Find out if you live in the district here:
Leg. Coordinating Commission GIS
Why is the district asking for this money?
Over the past several years, the school district has invested in technology expansion using general fund dollars and Covid relief funds from the federal government. This includes technology tools for learning, curriculum, training, building security, IT staff, and cybersecurity. In order to maintain and improve the technology infrastructure, the district is seeking a dedicated funding source so that these technology tools and services do not need to come from the general fund.
The general fund is "the same dollars that pay for teachers, classroom supplies, buses, music, arts, and student support. That means technology competes with the basics our kids need every day,” according to the district.
How will the $6 million per year be allocated?
Roseville Area Schools is comprised of one high school, one middle school, one K-8 school, seven K-6 elementary schools, one education center which includes the alternative high school, and the district administration building. The district offers community education programs, early childhood and preschool programs, and the Roseville Area Senior Program.
“We're dedicated to serving every single household in the community, regardless of if they have children in school,” Loeck said.
The funds from this levy would support technology and security at all of these buildings, not just the primary and secondary schools.
“So much programming occurs outside of that 8am to 3pm traditional school day,” Loeck said.
The district needs advanced technology to protect against cybersecurity attacks too. For instance, this year the district began working with a consultant who they paid $100,000 to attack the network and look for vulnerabilities. The district also pays for cybersecurity insurance, which they didn’t need in the past.
Skilled IT staff are also a critical part of the technology infrastructure.
$6 million per year will be allocated as follows, according to Thompson:
- Building Safety & Security = 15% ($900,000)
- Student Learning (student devices, curriculum) = 30% ($1.8 million)
- Cybersecurity = 15% ($900,000)
- Infrastructure (including technology staff salaries and benefits) = 25% ($1.5 million)
- Communications = 15% ($900,000)
How have technology needs changed?
The way students learn and teacher's teach has changed since today’s parents were in school.
“Things have just evolved so rapidly. There are such innovative and great ways for them to learn. But it does come with an investment,” Ardito said.
Early in 2020 when the district switched to remote learning due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, only the secondary school teachers had laptops. Elementary school teachers all used desktop computers. The district had to purchase laptops for teachers and all staff who had previously had desktop computers. The district also bought hotspots for families who did not have Internet access, so that no student would be cut off from access to an education.
When staff and students returned to in-person learning, the district had to beef up their IT infrastructure to keep up with the upgrades in technology use, including faster WiFi and access points in the building. The era of desktop computers was over and now the district had to maintain the infrastructure for laptops and other devices used by students and staff.
The Covid-19 relief dollars for schools helped with the initial investment in updated technologies, but they were one-time funds that are not available for the long-term.
“In order to be responsible, we must continue to plan for replacement and expansion of the technology needed to address our various operational needs. Technology is not a stand-alone category; it supports the majority of things we do in our schools,” said Thompson.
The way curriculum is designed and distributed to schools has changed dramatically over the years. For instance, students in grades 6-12 are issued iPads for their learning materials. Instead of carrying around textbooks, they’re carrying around iPads. The district says the levy will not lead to expanding this 1:1 iPad program to the lower grades. There’s also online teacher training materials and curriculum subscriptions that the district needs to pay for.
“They control all of that, versus we used to control a nine year or seven year curriculum cycle for all of our work. Now the curriculum companies control it for online access,” Loeck said.
Beyond accessing educational materials on iPads and online platforms, the district is committed to equipping students to be able to use cutting edge technologies for life after graduation.
“We need to make sure that students are achieving. A big role of the school board is to make sure students have success, they're ready for careers, they're ready for technology careers,” said Anderson. “They're going to be tomorrow's doctors, lawyers, bankers, and dealing with technology like we all do as adults in our jobs or our careers.”
How does technology improve physical safety in schools?
The district has improved the physical security of the building by increasing the number of security cameras and improving the quality of those cameras in school buildings. In order to have the cameras connected to a network and have timely access to be able to review video footage, the school cannot purchase cheap cameras.
Building entrances also rely on technology for controlling who can access the buildings, through the use of electronic key fobs.
“At certain points, buildings are locked and staff can fob in and get into a building,” said Ardito. Otherwise front office staff let in parents and other visitors into the buildings.
“It’s an overall commitment to safety and security across schools,” Ardito said.
The district is also committed to communication systems for sending mass messages to families. The district has invested in a new platform called ParentSquare for communicating with families. In addition to regular school communications, it allows the district to communicate quickly any time there is a hold, lockdown, other safety incident when families want to know information immediately. The system also provides translation so that families who don’t speak English fluently can get the information in their primary language.
“Because people call in, they want to call in, but what we try to do is get a message out before [people call]. Because there's one thing to have individuals answering phones, and it's another to send out a mass communication. Every 15 minutes we send updates on what's going on so people feel fully informed,” Ardito said.
How are school districts impacted by cybersecurity threats?
There has been increase in cybersecurity threats on school districts nationwide. K-12 school districts are considered vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks because of the large amounts of confidential and sensitive information maintained by districts and slower investment in more heightened cybersecurity standards, according to the Minnesota School Board Association.
In 2023, Minneapolis Public School were hacked by the ransomware gang “Medusa”—known for encrypting and stealing sensitive records. The hackers shut down district systems for over a week and demanded the district pay them $1 million to unlock the data and not release it to the dark web. This data included email addresses, home addresses, social security numbers and personal documents such as campus sexual misconduct cases, child abuse inquires, student mental health crises, and suspension reports, according to investigative reporting by The 74.
In December of 2024, the Stillwater School District was the victim of a cybersecurity attack on the district’s Student Information System, a third party vendor called PowerSchool. According to the district information about the incident, the information exposed included student names, addresses, birthdates, homeroom teachers, enrollment dates, guardian phone numbers, and some individual emergency contacts. None of the data was made public, according to the district.
The Mounds View Public School district says they block over 60,000 cyberattacks in a typical month. That district is also asking voters to approve a capital projects levy for technology this election.
What other school districts already have a capital projects levy for technology?
Nearly 70% of Twin Cities metro school districts already have a Capital Projects Levy in place to support investments in technology, including Minneapolis, Anoka-Hennepin, Robbinsdale, White Bear Lake, and South Washington County, among many other districts.
The following nearby districts are asking voters to approve a capital projects levy for technology on the 2025 ballot:
- Mounds View Public Schools : Asking for $10 million annually for 10 years
- North St. Paul, Maplewood, Oakdale school district: Asking for $2 million annually for 10 years
Saint Paul Public Schools does not have a technology levy in place.
Kirsten Swanson
How is this different from other approved referendums?
In 2017, voters approved a $144 million building bond to address the repair, upgrade, and construction improvements and additions to various school sites and facilities district wide. This included improving safety and security, addressing aging buildings, and adding space to accommodate growing student enrollment. It also included activity field improvements. The bonding funds cannot be used to operate schools.
In 2021, voters approved a renewal of the district’s existing operating levy and an increase in the operating levy by $905 per student to generate $7 million per year. The additional funds were earmarked for lowering class sizes, investing in student mental health, maintaining academic programs, expanding career pathways for students, and maintaining financial stability. Operating levies fund teacher salaries, classroom supplies, instructional materials, and other staff.
Now in 2025, the district is asking voters to help carve out a dedicated funding source for technology. If approved, the levy will provide $6 million per year for 10 years. These funds will only be used for technology and security-related expenses, and cannot be used for classroom staffing, general operations, or other school programs.
What happens if the levy doesn’t pass?
“Our needs will not go away. Without a dedicated funding source for support, the district will be forced to make difficult decisions between programming including extracurriculars, student enrichment, class offerings, class sizes, etc. in order to continue to support the technology framework required to operate," Thompson said.
How much will this cost residents?
The tax impact on a $350,000 home in the Roseville Area School District will be about $18 per month. You can calculate your individual tax impact with this tax calculator here:
Have more questions?
Attend one of these upcoming Community Information Meetings to learn more about the levy, ask questions, and connect with the district:
Tuesday, Sept. 30 | 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Roseville Area High School
RAHS Media Center
Monday, Oct. 6 | 6:30 - 7:15 p.m.
Aŋpétu Téča Education Center
Fairview Community Room (2nd Floor)
Where to Vote
Vote in person on Election Day, November 4 at your polling place or vote now with a mail-in absentee ballot or at the Plato Building at 90 Plato Blvd. West, Saint Paul. All voters can vote early by absentee ballot in Minnesota. You may also registered to vote on election day at your polling place.
Vote at one of these early-voting locations October 17 - November 3:
- Ramsey County Library–Roseville, 2180 Hamline Ave. N.
- Ramsey County Library–Shoreview, 4560 Victoria St. N.
- Arlington Hills Community Center, 1200 Payne Ave.
- North End Community Center, 145 Lawson Ave. W.
View your sample ballot and find your polling place:
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Naomi Krueger
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