News & Events

2024 Thief River Falls Public Schools Unofficial Election Results

Referendum

Yes - 3,821 (55%)

No - 3,099 (45%)


The three candidates with the most votes are elected

Lindsay Gregory 3,104 22.75%

Lucus Stavos 2,582 18.92%

Jared Kainz 4,027 29.51%

John Syvertson 3,797 27.83%

WRITE-IN 135 0.99%

The candidate with the most votes is elected

Misty Hempel 4,078 65.16%

Diane Lion 2,145 34.28%

WRITE-IN 35 0.56%

Thief River Falls Community Supports Schools; Approves Referendum Question

Thief River Falls, MN (November 6, 2024) - Thief River Falls Public School District voters approved its funding request on the November 5 ballot.

The question passed with 3,821 (55%) voting Yes and 3,099 (45%) voting No. The operating levy will generate $900 per student in annual revenue to be used to maintain class sizes and programming.

“The referendum question passed in the Nov. 5 election will make a big difference in the learning environment for our students,” said Thief River Falls Public Schools Superintendent Chris Mills. “We thank all voters who made their voices heard, and we thank all of you for supporting our students, families, and hard-working staff.”

What This Approval Means

The referendum approval will support students and staff. With the approval of the operating levy the district can:

  • Retain quality teachers

  • Retain quality programs

  • Maintain adequate class sizes

  • Maintain elective classes and activities that support diverse student interests

Thief River Falls School Board Chair Ryan Walseth believes that now that the election is over, a new chapter in the future for students can begin. “We understand that not everyone voted yes on this question,” Walseth said. “We believe there is common ground in supporting the needs of our children, and we will build on that common ground to ensure that we all move forward together.”

Next steps:

The community will be informed at every step of the process about more specific uses of referendum dollars with regular updates from the school district. The district will provide more information about what might be restored, but also about continued rightsizing.

For More Information

Visit trfschools.org for more information about Thief River Falls Public Schools.

News

Elementary students fundraise to save classroom after voters reject levies

The budget crunch in Thief River Falls underscores the challenges facing districts throughout greater Minnesota: They need increasingly skeptical, aging residents to vote for higher taxes in an era of rising attacks on public schooling in the national media.
KAXE | Minnesota Reformer
July 8, 2024

Levy Referendum Discussions: Committee Continues to Advise School Board

Nine full-time equivalent positions and other cuts are adding up to $1,231,932 have been proposed for the 2024-25 school year in Thief River Falls School District.

Thief River Falls Times

June 26, 2024