>> CATHY: THE BEMIDJI SCHOOL BOARD IS CONSIDERING WHETHER TO RENEW A 10-YEAR OPERATING TAX LEVY FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS.

AND THEY WON'T NEED VOTERS TO APPROVE IT.

REPORTER KAOMI LEE WENT TO BELTRAMI COUNTRY TO FIND OUT ABOUT A NEW STATE LAW THAT GIVES SCHOOL BOARDS MORE DISCRETIONARY POWER.

>> Kaomi: IT'S 7:30 IN THE MORNING AND THIS BEMIDJI PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUS IS RIGHT ON TIME.

IT'S ONE OF 64 BUS ROUTES IN THE DISTRICT.

>> IT'S A 825-SQUARE MILESES.

WE'RE 2/3 THE SIZE OF RHODE ISLAND.

>> Kaomi: JEREMY OLSON IS THE SUPERINTENDENT.

HE SAYS THE DISTRICT'S LARGE GEOGRAPHIC FOOTPRINT MEANS MORE DRIVERS, WHICH MEANS HIGHER COSTS.

>> ONE OF THE ISSUES IN THE STATE OF MINNESOTA IS WE'RE PAID PER STUDENT WE'RE TRANSPORTING, NOT PER MILE WE'RE TRANSPORTING.

AND IN A DISTRICT LIKE BEMIDJI, THAT'S A LITTLE CHALLENGING BECAUSE WE RUN A LOT OF MILES FOR VERY FEW STUDENTS.

>> Kaomi: ABOUT 80% OF BEMIDJI'S BUDGET IS SALARIES.

>> WE'VE LOST $925 PER STUDENT SINCE 2003 IN BUYING POWER AS A SCHOOL DISTRICT.

>> Kaomi: LAST YEAR, THE LEGISLATURE GAVE SCHOOL BOARDS NEW AUTHORITY.

DISTRICTS LIKE BEMIDJI CAN NOW RENEW AN EXISTING OPERATING LEVY ONE TIME.

WITHOUT VOTER APPROVAL.

BEMIDJI'S TEN-YEAR $180 PER PUPIL LEVY IS SET TO EXPIRE NEXT YEAR.

>> THIS IS A NEW APPROACH, A ONE-TIME APPROACH, THAT WILL ALLOW OUR SCHOOL BOARDS TO RENEW AN OPERATING LEVY FOR THE SAME AMOUNT AND THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME.

>> Kaomi: DISTRICTS SAY THAT WILL SAVE THEM TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BY NOT HAVING TO CREATE A CAMPAIGN.

>> WE KNOW THAT RENEWALS PASS AT APPROXIMATELY A 99.7% RATE.

SO WHEN WE GO OUT TO THE SAME AMOUNT FOR THE SAME LENGTH OF TIME, THOSE PASSION AT A VERY, VERY HIGH RATE, NEARLY 100%.

>> Kaomi: DATA BY THE MSBA SHOWS OUT OF 31 OPERATING LEVY REFERENDUMS LAST YEAR, ALL BUT ONE WERE FOR A TAX INCREASE.

ONLY 12 PASS PASSES.

OF THOSE, HALF WERE DISTRICTS IN GLOIM.

GREATER MINNESOTA.

AND LOSING ITS EXISTING LEVY WOULD BE DEVASTATING.

>> TO MAINTAIN THE PROGRAMS AND THE QUALITY OF PROGRAMS WE HAVE, ALSO WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE IN MINNESOTA, THE AVERAGE REFERENDUM IS $705 PER STUDENT.

WE'RE ASKING FOR $180 PER STUDENT.

WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE BEING VERY REASONABLE.

>> I BELIEVE THAT THE PEOPLE SHOULD HAVE A SAY.

>> Kaomi: REBECCA WHITING IS CHAIR OF THE LIBERTARIAN PARTY OF MINNESOTA.

SHE AND HER HUSBAND CURRENTLY HOME-SCHOOL EIGHT OF THEIR 12 KIDS.

SHE FIRST LEARNED ABOUT THE RENEWAL OPTION FROM "ALMANAC" AND IN A COUNTY WHERE THE MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS 30% LESS THAN THE STATE MEDIAN, IT'S A CONCERN.

>> THE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE ELECTED TO THESE POSITIONS HAVE TO RECOGNIZE WHAT THE THRESHOLD OF THEIR PEOPLE ARE.

I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY PRETTY HIGH.

SO ANYBODY ASKING FOR MORE RIGHT NOW IS A LOT.

SPHWHRAIK DO YOU BELIEVE THAT IF THEY PUT THE RENEWAL UP TO THE VOTERS THAT IT MIGHT NOT PASS.

>> IT MIGHT OT.

I MEAN, THE LAST TWO HAVEN'T.

SO THAT'S TILL FRESH ON PEOPLE'S MINDS.

>> Kaomi: FAILED REFERENDUMS ARE NORMAL, SAYS ANN LONG VOGNE REVVING.

SHE'S CHAIR OF THE BEMIDJI SCHOOL BOARD.

IT WAS MEETINGS ATTENDED BY NOT VERY MANY PEOPLE.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT WHAT HAPPENS THEN IS THAT PEOPLE THAT HAVE CONCERNS COME TO THE MEETINGS AND PEOPLE THAT ARE FINE AND DANDY WITH A CHANGE, BASICALLY DON'T FEEL A NEED TO ENGAGE.

>> Kaomi: THE BOARD HAS UNTIL THE SUMMER TO DECIDE WHETHER TO RENEW THE LEVY THIS YEAR.

SHE SAYS THE OPTION MAKES SENSE AND GIVES SCHOOL BOARDS A LITTLE MORE OF THE AUTHORITY THAT COUNTIES AND CITIES ALREADY HAVE.

>> IT'S MORE EFFICIENT.

WE'VE ALREADY GOT IT ON THE BOOKS.

PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY APPROVED IT.

AND COST-WISE FOR INDIVIDUALS, PROPERTY OWNERS, IT'S NOT A BIG ASK.