School Boards approve boundary realignment plan
July 6, 2016
The School Boards for Moorhead Area Public Schools 152 and Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton Public Schools 2164 approved the plan to adjust the school district boundaries at their meetings June 27. The approval comes after opportunities were provided for public testimony on the plan at both the June 13 and 27 board meetings.
The final plan includes a combination of immediate transfer of parcels and a phased-in transfer process. This combination is needed to minimize tax impact to taxpayers of each school district during a transfer year. Implementation of the realignment plan begins July 1, 2016, with tax changes taking place in January 2017.
The initial exchange transfers Summerwood 1st and 2nd additions, Orchard Estates addition and several undeveloped parcels in the City of Dilworth from the Moorhead district to the DGF district. Moorhead Area Public Schools receives a section and a half that includes the Moorhead airport and the Titan equipment dealership south of Interstate 94, a section north of I-94, and a quarter-section on the west side of Dilworth between Highway 10 and The Meadows golf course. A notice will be sent to affected property owners.
Students living in the affected areas who are currently open enrolled into the DGF School District will become residents of the district. Moorhead students living in the affected areas currently attending Moorhead Area Public Schools may open enroll and will be provided transportation based on Minnesota Statute 124D.02. Moorhead Area Public Schools will continue to provide transportation and allow the students in the affected areas to open enroll to Moorhead Schools through the time of this agreement.
After the initial exchange, six additional parcels will be transferred to the DGF district over time, depending on how fast the land received by Moorhead Area Public Schools gains in net tax capacity. The remaining parcels of property will be transferred in the following order:
1) Orchid-7th St. NE to 4th Ave. NE-Woodbridge Dr.
2) Orchid-Woodbridge Dr. to 4th Ave. NE-12th St. NE
3) Orchid-12th St. NE to 4th Ave. NE-14th St. NE
4) 4th Ave. NE-7th St. NE to 3rd Ave. NE-12th St. NE
5) 4th Ave. NE-12th St. NE to 14th St. NE
6) 3rd Ave. NE-7th St. NE to Hwy 10-12th St. NE
A task force created in October 2015 with representatives from the two districts and boards met to develop a plan that would be favorable to both districts and district residents. After approval by both School Boards the plan required legislative action.
In the 2016 legislative session, the voluntary boundary realignment bill was proposed and adopted. On June 1, 2016 Governor Dayton signed into law the 2016 Supplemental Budget Bill providing authority for ISD 152 and ISD 2164 to realign their shared district boundaries over a period of years.
“This is not a short-term plan,” said Dr. Lynne Kovash, superintendent of Moorhead Area Public Schools. “This is a plan that could go many years.”
Categorized under: School