School Year 2025-26 Annual Update
As we wrap up another school year, I want to thank everyone for helping make this a successful year at LCWM. Like any year, we experienced both successes and challenges, but I believe our district is in a good position as we move forward.
One of the challenges we continue to face is funding. Over the past two years, we have had to make difficult reductions, including reductions to teaching staff. At the end of the 2025-2026 school year, our K-12 enrollment is 931 students, down from 945 students in 2023-2024. These decisions are never easy, and we know they impact students, staff, and families. As a result, we will see some class sizes increase as we continue working to right-size our staffing and budget. This will remain something we monitor closely moving forward.
This summer, the district will be sharing more information about an upcoming levy referendum. A levy referendum is different from a bond or building referendum. Bond referendums are typically used to fund building projects, renovations, or major facility improvements. An operating levy referendum, on the other hand, provides funding that supports the day-to-day educational experience for students, including programs, staffing, technology, and other learning opportunities.
LCWM's current voter-approved operating levy is $46 per pupil unit, which is among the lowest in the state. The district is seeking $400,000 per year, which would add $391 per pupil unit. If approved, this additional funding would help us continue providing the opportunities and educational experiences we want for our students while bringing LCWM closer to the average operating levy of surrounding school districts.
For an average home valued at $275,000, the estimated tax impact would be approximately $133 per year, or about $11 per month. It is important to note that the levy applies to a home's value, garage, and one acre of land surrounding the residence. Agricultural land beyond the home site is not subject to the operating levy.
If approved in November, this levy would provide stable, ongoing support for our students and help position LCWM for long-term success.
We also had many successes to celebrate this year.
One highlight was Knights Give Back Day, where our students served communities throughout the district. Roughly 60 students helped at 6-8 different locations. This is something we plan to continue developing and making an annual tradition. Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible.
We are proud of our students who represented LCWM at the state and national levels in academics, activities, and athletics. Students participated and excelled in organizations and events such as FCCLA, AcaDec, Science Fair, wrestling, track and field, and softball.
One accomplishment worth highlighting is that students participating in Minnesota State High School League activities earned an overall GPA of 3.47. This demonstrates that our students are not only successful in competition and extracurricular activities, but they are also committed to academic excellence in the classroom. Their hard work, dedication, and achievements continue to make our school and communities proud.
The support our students receive from our communities is phenomenal, and I want to recognize that. I truly enjoy watching our students and student-athletes pursue what they love and compete at a high level.
As summer begins, thank you for your continued support of LCWM. We will continue working to improve in all that we do, and I believe this is just the beginning of something great for our district.
Brett Benson, Superintendent