LINN — Linn R-2 administrators are already preparing for program cuts, staffing adjustments, and renewed community outreach after voters narrowly rejected the district’s proposed 50-cent operating levy increase in last week’s election.

The measure failed by just four votes — 456-452 — leaving district leaders to evaluate both short-term reductions and the timing of a potential return to the ballot.

Superintendent Bob James said the margin underscores how close the district came — and how targeted future efforts must be. “We were just a few votes off,” James said. “If three no votes turn into yes votes, we’re having a different conversation. That tells me the focus has to be on people who are already engaged but may not fully understand what we’re trying to do.”

While that understanding helps, James noted that it pushes the opportunity for financial stability further down the road. “It would have been nice to have passed it last year and held back those revenues as we move through this year and next to prepare,” he explained. “But now we’re a year down the road again, and at some point, we’re going to have to go through the difficult transition to our new financial reality for the next several years.”

ON THE CHOPPING BLOCK (POTENTIALLY)

With no additional revenue with which to plan, James said the district has already begun implementing reductions to stabilize finances — decisions that will directly affect students, staff, and programs. “We do what every family does,” he said. “We cut expenses, and we try to drive up revenues.”

James alluded to potential changes in light of the election results. “We’ll have to make some basic adjustments,” he said. “Our class size is going to suffer a little bit. We probably are very likely not to replace a teacher or two, which represents about $120,000, not because we pay teachers that amount, but by the time you pay their salary, healthcare costs of about $58,000, and contribute to retirement, which we have to do, it adds up fast. Salaries are the largest piece of the budget.”

That will necessitate increased class sizes, potentially into the 20–22 student range at the lower grades. “Teachers are used to having 16 or 17 kids in a class, but if you suddenly went to 20-22 kids, it’s very challenging,” said James, adding that the decision may be made to cut an aid position and a paraprofessional position. “It doesn’t mean that we’re over budget or overstaffed now. It just means that we’re going to look at this in terms of workload. We’re really going to stress those maximum allowable limits. It also means paraprofessionals will be running from classroom to classroom instead of walking.”

James said that reductions in food service spending and staffing may also be considered. Cutting a part-time position would help, but he’s also considering a 10% reduction in the food budget. “That means you cut quality, or you cut quantity, and I think our community — and definitely our students and staff — have enjoyed that program the last couple of years, but that equates to about a $20,000 reduction. We spend about, believe it or not, $200,000 a year in just food.”

He added that those cuts would represent about a third to a half of a fund balance point, but that’s just one program, and James stressed others will face the same red pen.

Suspension of non-essential maintenance projects is another likely outcome. James spoke with Facilities Director Cliff Wilson about the need to pause every internal project in progress. “If it’s not broken and necessary, we are not fixing or replacing it,” said James, pointing to the construction of the elementary building as a source of frustration. “Coming in four years ago, it was obvious that we had a lot of deferred maintenance.”

At the time, James learned that the filters in the HVAC system still contained the original filters, which should have been replaced once a month. “We went eight years, 96 months, without a filter change,” he said. “It’s no wonder we’re having difficulty with that system when you treat it that way. We replace those filters every month now, which means we pay for the time with our maintenance staff, and we pay for the filters. We disrupt class, sometimes, to do that. We try not to do that, but their hours overlap with school, so we’re gonna have to do our best to balance that and see if we can buy a little better filter that isn’t double the cost, but will last two months.”

James said close monitoring of the system will be important. “If we start having issues with our HVAC, we’ll need to analyze whether or not the filters are a cause for that; if they are, we’ll just have to eat the cost.”

Additionally, James said everyone will need to be mindful of electricity use, meaning turning off lights when not in use. “That’s how people manage their high electric bills at home, and we’re no different,” he added.

Finally, James has already asked building principals to cut 10% from supply budgets, and activity programs will need to be reduced by 15%. “We’re looking at reductions in transportation costs by limiting the number of games our kids play, the number of tournaments, and the distance they travel to get to those games,” he noted.

The unifying thread, James said, is that all of these changes will affect the district’s long-term viability. “It’s important to note the things we’ll have to do are going to directly impact kids, our staff, and, ultimately, the community,” James said. “They’re a stopgap that will not stop the slide.”

CLOSING A MANDATED, UNFUNDED GAP

The levy proposal was designed to offset what James and board members have consistently described as a widening gap between mandated costs and uncertain funding streams.

Previous reporting outlined the district’s reliance on a minimum operating levy and the strain created by state-mandated salary increases without consistent funding support.

Linn has operated on a levy of $2.75 per $100 for decades, and James said it’s difficult to grow when earning minimum wage. “You can work at a restaurant for a few years and make more than 90% of our hourly folks here,” he added, noting that most earn well below $20 per hour.

James reiterated that reality remains unchanged following the vote. “We’re going to have to go through the difficult transition to our new financial reality for the next several years,” he said.

He warned that the timeline is accelerating.

“Next year is going to be difficult. The year after that is going to be very rough for education,” said James. “I anticipate shortfalls to increase significantly as we move into 2027-28.”

Another point James made is that even with budget cuts, to maintain flat funding with inflation of 3% per year, the district would lose 30% over 10 years. “That means our dollar today is only worth 70 cents,” he noted. “If we project ourselves into the future, that would be the equivalent of me cutting my current budget by $2.5 million. Where in the world would I get $2.5 million? I would literally have to cut more than half of our teachers to do that, because that’s where 70%-80% of our expenditures come from.”

COMPETITIVE WAGES, RETENTION

A central component of the levy was maintaining competitive salaries for teachers and staff — an issue James said is becoming more urgent as surrounding districts raise pay.

He added that the gap is currently $545 per student, and with enrollment of about 600, it adds up fast. “The math is a little complicated, but we could be looking at losses of hundreds of thousands of dollars in just state funding,” said James. “If the base salary grant goes away, we’ll be on the hook for the difference between our current salaries and what’s being covered by the state.”

Linn R-2 has a first-year base salary of $40,000, with $3,000 of that coming from the grant. The current salary schedule shows that a first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree does not see an increase until their eighth year with the district. “How can we possibly be competitive under those circumstances? A ninth-year teacher makes only $1,000 more than a teacher just starting,” James explained. “We can’t be competitive at all when people have the option to go somewhere else for a considerably higher salary.”

Harrisburg leads the Central State 8 Conference with a base salary of $45,000, and other schools in the are already making moves.

James noted that Senate Bill 727 mandated the base salary of $40,000, regardless of whether it’s funded by the state. “They have changed the landscape in terms of competitive wages for teachers and staff in perpetuity,” he said. “Communities around us are responding; they are passing their levies and salary increases. With our current salary schedule, it would take us 17 years to match what Harrisburg is offering to first-year educators.

“At some point, it becomes unreasonable to expect people to stay,” James added. “We have teachers making significantly less here than they could by driving a short distance in another direction.”

The concern extends beyond recruitment.

“We have great teachers,” James added. “The question is how long we can hold them in this environment.”

BREAKING DOWN THE VOTE

James identified three primary groups shaping the outcome of the vote: voters opposed to any tax increase, individuals with specific grievances or past experiences with the district, and long-standing distrust tied to decisions made decades ago.

“There are some people who vote ‘no,’ no matter what,” he said. “Then there are others who don’t trust the system because of something that happened 25 years ago.”

At the same time, he said the narrow margin and increased engagement signal progress.

“We were 59 votes short before; now, we’re four short,” James noted. “That’s movement.”

He also pointed to growing community dialogue as a positive development. “I’m seeing conversations happen between people with different perspectives,” he said. “That’s how a community grows.”

Despite multiple informational sessions and ongoing communication, James said many voters are still making decisions without direct engagement.

“If people aren’t interested, they’re not going to come,” he said. “And that’s part of the challenge.”

He emphasized that the district must remain within legal boundaries when communicating about ballot issues.

“There’s a fine line between providing information and promoting an outcome,” James said. “We have to stay on the right side of that.”

That limitation, he said, places greater responsibility on community-level conversations. “If anything will spur those cousin-to-cousin, neighbor-to-neighbor conversations, it’s going to be that one of the participants in that conversation is experiencing a loss due to budget cuts,” said James, adding that budget cuts will not mean the district’s fund balance will see growth. “We’re going to be cutting stuff to survive.”

While the levy’s failure delays additional funding, James said the underlying issues remain — and will become more visible over time. “At some point, people will experience the impact,” he added. “I just hope we’re not too far down the road when that happens.”

He and board members will weigh when — not if — to bring the issue back to voters. “There’s no limitation on how often we can run it,” said James. “The question is when it makes the most sense, and whether we can responsibly absorb the cost of another election.”

A special election could cost approximately $30,000, though James noted some community members have already expressed interest in helping cover that expense.

The possibility of an August election is under consideration. “We needed this a year ago,” James said. “Every year we wait is one more year we don’t have to prepare.”

Linn R-2 held a couple of informational sessions, with the last drawing about 25 people, the most James has seen in the last two years.

James added that he remains committed to transparency as the district moves forward, including continued access to financial data and direct conversations with community members. “I’ll show them anything they want to see,” he said, offering to attend civic group meetings, as well as welcoming people to his office. “If someone has a question, I’ll sit down with them and walk through it.”

That openness, James noted, is essential to rebuilding trust and moving the district forward. “I’m going to keep doing everything I can to be accountable,” he said. “That’s the only way this works.”

James noted that the Central State 8 Conference superintendents’ group will hear from legal experts in June — after the state budget is approved — and learn what can be done to prepare for the worst-case scenario in a way that doesn’t make the situation untenable for taxpayers. “Our conference will pay for lunch and get hours of legal advice to avoid tens and sometimes hundreds of thousands in costs.”

Additional discussion is expected to take place at the board’s meeting on Thursday, and the public is welcome to attend.