I may be the superintendent of Perham-Dent Public Schools today, but before I was a Yellowjacket, I was a Hornet.

I am a proud graduate of Frazee High School, and because of that connection, I have been paying close attention to the referendum Frazee-Vergas residents will consider this fall.

I also look at this proposal through the eyes of a superintendent who deals with school finance every day. And from that perspective, there is something about this referendum that I hope every District 23 resident takes the time to understand: This is not a typical school referendum.

The circumstances surrounding this proposal have created an extraordinarily unusual opportunity—one that may not present itself again.

Because of the state funding associated with seasonal recreational property, Frazee-Vergas has an opportunity to bring additional state dollars back to District 23 while structuring the referendum so that the overall impact on local taxpayers can be essentially tax neutral.

Think about that for a moment.

Additional operating revenue for the school district. Additional resources to support students and programs. And a structure designed so local taxpayers do not experience the kind of tax increase normally associated with an operating referendum.

That is about as close to a win-win as school finance gets.

As a superintendent, I can tell you that opportunities like this simply do not come along very often. Most school districts facing an operating referendum have to ask their residents a much harder question: Are you willing to pay more in local property taxes to provide additional resources for your schools?

This situation is fundamentally different.

The state has created a funding mechanism that can substantially change that equation for districts such as Frazee-Vergas. The important question for District 23 residents is whether they want to take advantage of that opportunity while it exists.

State dollars that aren’t captured for students in Frazee-Vergas don’t somehow remain reserved for Frazee. The Legislature will continue making decisions about how Minnesota’s resources are spent throughout the state.

That is why I would encourage every resident to look closely at the numbers and understand exactly what is available to District 23 right now.

This isn’t simply a conversation about whether schools could use more money. Every superintendent in Minnesota could give you a list of needs.

This is about whether Frazee-Vergas should take advantage of a highly unusual state funding opportunity that can bring additional resources home to its students without creating the traditional local tax burden associated with an operating referendum.

There may never be another opportunity quite like it.

I understand that taxpayers should scrutinize every referendum. They should ask questions. They should expect transparency from their school district and School Board.

But they should also recognize an exceptional opportunity when one presents itself.

As a neighboring superintendent, I want Frazee-Vergas to remain strong because strong schools benefit this entire region.

As a Frazee graduate, it means even more to me.

Frazee helped educate me. Its teachers, coaches and community helped shape who I became, and that education ultimately helped lead me into a career serving public schools.

I want today’s Hornets—and the generations of Hornets who follow them—to have every opportunity we can reasonably provide.

So I hope District 23 residents study this referendum carefully. Look at the actual tax implications. Look at the state dollars involved. Look at what those resources could mean for Frazee-Vergas students. And, just as importantly, understand what opportunity is lost if the district doesn’t take advantage of this funding mechanism while it is available.

Sometimes communities face difficult choices with no obvious answer.

And sometimes an unusual set of circumstances creates an opportunity where students, schools and taxpayers can all benefit.

Frazee-Vergas residents have one of those opportunities in front of them this fall.

I may wear Yellowjacket colors professionally today.

But I’ll always have some Hornet green in me.

And I’ll always be rooting for Frazee.

Mitch Anderson

Frazee High School Graduate

Superintendent, Perham-Dent Public Schools