NEW ULM — On election night, Independent School District 88 voters approved a school referendum question with approximately 60% voting yes.

This will allow the renewal of an operating levy for the New Ulm Public School.

“The referendum renewed in the Nov. 8 election will continue to make a big difference for our students and staff,” New Ulm Public School Superintendent Jeff Bertrang said. “We thank all voters who made their voices heard, and we thank all of you for supporting our students, families, and our hard-working staff for believing in the continued success of our thriving community.”

In 2012, voters approved the current operating referendum. By state statute, operating referendums can only be ten years in duration. This current referendum was set to expire after this year. The vote on election night was to renew the referendum for another 10 years at the current rate.

The purpose of the operating referendum is to fund school programs including smaller class sizes, additional college and technical school classes and access to technology.

The current operating referendum generates $1.8 million dollars, which is approximately 5.9% of the school’s general fund.

If the referendum had not been approved, the school board would have needed to reduce or eliminate programs to meet the funding shortfall.

With the election over, New Ulm School Board Chair, Steve Gag feels a new chapter in the future of New Ulm Schools can begin.

“While we appreciate not everyone voted yes on this question, 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,” Gag said in a press release. “We will be good stewards of the funds continued through this levy to keep the New Ulm community and schools strong.”