Can a tiny district pay its bills without a bigger local levy?
About 128 students, six straight years of deficits, and a November 3, 2026 referendum asking for about $350,000 more each year
Campbell-Tintah Public Schools (ISD 852) runs one PK-12 school building in Campbell, in Wilkin County, Minnesota. Like other Minnesota districts, most of its money comes from the state's per-pupil formula, so fewer students means less money. Voter-approved operating referendums add local tax money on top of that. The current authority, approved in 2017, brings in about $286,660 a year and runs out with taxes payable in 2028. The district says costs have grown faster than revenue for six years and that it now has a gap of about $400,000 a year. Its FY27 budget plans $3.08 million in spending and $2.87 million in revenue. A six-member board elected at large sets the budget and hires the superintendent, Wade McKittrick. It usually meets on the second Wednesday of the month. For high school sports, the district works with Fairmount and Rosholt (both in North Dakota) in the Tri-State cooperative.
Referendum on Nov. 3
Question 1 would replace the current levy with about $636,660 a year for 10 years. Question 2 would add about $100,000 a year for repairs, safety, technology and curriculum.
Statutory operating debt warning
District materials say that without new revenue it could enter statutory operating debt by FY2028, which brings a required state-approved plan to cut spending.
Levy swings
The levy for taxes paid in 2026 rose 13.07% to $585,870. The preliminary levy for 2027 is $512,674, before any referendum change.
Shared services
Business and health services come from Lakes Country Service Cooperative. A 2026-27 contract adds a full-time social worker and mental health counselor through Greater Minnesota Family Services.
The board posts agendas and approved minutes for every regular meeting, and the deficit figures come from the district's own materials. None of this shows mismanagement. Small rural districts across Minnesota face the same squeeze between flat state aid and rising costs, and the district has also cut costs, for example by switching technology vendors to save an estimated $15,000.
Where the district stands
Students (NCES)context
128 students
Context: NCES district enrollment figure.
FY27 budgeted revenueverified
2,867,176 USD
FY27 budgeted expensesverified
3,077,540 USD
FY27 planned shortfallcontext
210,363 USD
Context: budgeted expenses minus budgeted revenue from the June 10, 2026 minutes.
Property tax levy, taxes payable 2026verified
585,870 USD
Up 13.07% from $518,155.
Current operating referendum per yearverified
286,660 USD
Major projects
Operating referendum and capital project levy
on the ballot
Question 1 would revoke two current referendum authorizations and replace them with $5,229.06 per pupil for 10 years. Question 2 would add a 10-year capital project levy worth about $1,000,000 in total, and it only counts if Question 1 passes.
Next: Board canvasses the results at its November 9, 2026 meeting
Ehlers presents revenue options
Board calls special election
First public information meeting
Second public information meeting
Election day
Funding
Local property taxes, if voters approve
Move to a 7-period high school day and new graduation credits
in progress
Principal Seth Engelstad presented a plan in June 2026 to move from 8 class periods to 7. The board then adopted new graduation credit requirements (25 to 27 credits, depending on class) starting in 2026-27.
Next: Transition during the 2026-27 school year
7-period day transition plan presented
New graduation requirements and handbook adopted
Funding
General fund (no separate cost stated)
Library renovation and window replacement
in progress
Volunteers renovated the school library under 'Reimagine the Library,' paid for with donations and a $1,200 library network grant. A $20,000 Riverview Foundation gift is paying for new windows in the elementary library and the 5th-6th grade classroom.
Next: Not stated in minutes
Reimagine the Library presentation
Library tour; volunteer renovation thanked
$20,000 window gift accepted
Funding
Donations and grants
Local elections & school board members
Elections & votes
OverrideScheduled
Question 1: revoke and replace operating referendum ($5,229.06 per pupil, 10 years)
ISD 852 (Campbell-Tintah) · $350,000
This question would revoke the existing $1,283.17 and $1,045.89 per-pupil authorizations and replace them with $5,229.06 per pupil for ten years, starting with taxes payable in 2027 and rising with inflation. The district estimates about $350,000 a year in new operating revenue. If it fails, the current authority runs out with taxes payable in 2028, and the district warns of statutory operating debt by FY2028.
Question 2: capital project levy (about $100,000 a year, 10 years)
ISD 852 (Campbell-Tintah) · $100,000
This is a capital project levy of 0.78692% of net tax capacity. It would raise about $100,000 for taxes payable in 2027, or about $1,000,000 over ten years, for maintenance, safety and security, technology, buses, instructional materials and utilities. It takes effect only if Question 1 passes.
Three Campbell-Tintah school board seats are on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot. They are held by Shana Klindt, Ben Loll and Michael Porter, whose terms expire December 31, 2026. Candidate names were not checked against the Minnesota Secretary of State filing list.
Board agendas and approved minutes linked from the Campbell-Tintah agenda/minutes index (Google Docs and Drive), from October 2025 to the November 9, 2026 agenda, plus the district's referendum materials, student handbook, strategic plan, literacy plan and restrictive procedures plan.
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