The Investment

Over two-thirds of the ISD 31 budget is put back into the classroom. This funding is used to pay for teachers, paraprofessionals, Special Education, and other student support personnel who help students learn and grow every day while in school.


An Investment in Our Future

An investment in Bemidji Area Schools is an investment in our students and an investment in our community. A successful operating referendum will provide additional funding of $1.5 million each year over the next 10 years. This funding will help the school district stabilize its budget and support the many classes, programs, activities that students need and deserve.


Students represent about 25% of our community; they are 100% of our future!

How Will Your Taxes Change if the Operating Referendum Passes?

Estimated Tax Impact

The taxes for the proposed referendum will be based on the value of the house, garage and one acre of land. There will be no referendum taxes paid on the value of agricultural land and buildings. For seasonal recreational residential property (e.g., cabins), there will be no taxes paid for the proposed referendum.


Click the button below for a link to a more precise cost calculator

Wait, can't the district use federal stimulus dollars for these improvements?

Federal stimulus dollars (ESSER funding) provided by Congress will help ISD 31 manage unexpected costs due to COVID-19 and stabilize our operating budget. However, this funding does not address the underlying causes of the districts budgetary problems brought about by two decades of underfunding that has not kept up with inflation.

Here is how we've spent previous stimulus dollars and how we plan to spend our future stimulus funds:

2020 – 2021 ESSER I: $1,185,543.26

  • Additional staff training and planning time to prepare for Distance Learning

  • Additional supplies and materials to maintain health and safety

  • Technology for our students to connect during distance learning

  • Teaching staff to provide distance learning opportunities as well as staffing for childcare

  • Additional substitute staff


2021 - 2022 ESSER II: $5,178,196.55

  • Offset General Fund lost revenue due to pandemic enrollment loss- used to maintain operations and prevent the need to lay off staff

  • Offset Food Service lost revenue due to distance/hybrid learning models

  • Offset Community Education lost revenue due to COVID 19 related restrictions

  • Health Services staff to Coordinate activities related to COVID 19

  • Distance Learning staffing costs

  • Student technology connectivity

  • Supplies and materials to maintain health and safety


2022 - 2024 ESSER III: $11,629,493.89

  • Maintaining operations and preventing the need to lay off staff

  • Additional staff for summer school

  • Staffing to address class size reduction for 2021-22 school year

  • Increased busing services for summer school

  • Increased number of days for summer school

  • Expanding mental health and well-being supports

  • Supplies and materials for instruction during mentoring and tutoring

  • Supplies and materials to maintain health and safety