The District 88 school board is asking voters in the district to vote next Tuesday on a pair of questions involving school taxes and funding for the Career and Technical Education (CTE) program.

This is an odd year election.There are no other state or local elections going on to draw voters to the polls. So the questions on this ballot are the only ones being decided in the eleciton, which is being held in one spot, the New Ulm Community Center, 600 N.German St.

We encourage voters to show up to the polling place and vote yes on these two questions.

The first question would extend to extra school tax levies that are due to expire, one after this year and the other after the following year. The two levies provide about $1.8 million for the district’s educational programs. The district is asking voters to “revoke and replace” these levies –to cancel them both now and replace them with one ten-year levy that will bring in the same amount of money for the district. There would be no increase to the current tax levy.

We believe it is important to continue the level of funding the district has to maintain programs for students.

The second question asks voters to support the Career and Technical Education, or CTE program. CTE has come into prominence in recent years as the need for skilled workers in the building and construction trades has grown. For many years, high schools have pushed student toward 4-year college educations, a fine option for many but not for all. CTE points out to students that there are other fine options for careers after high school in the skilled trades, and there is a growing demand for workers and the potential for good paying careers at a fraction of the cost of a four-year college degree.

District 88 has jumped into CTE, and has benefitted from a generous donation of the former Windings building, which has been converted to a CTE center. The district is asking for an additional tax levy of $200 per pupil for ten years to support the CTE program. It will take a lot of investment over the next few years in equipment and staff to provide students with the real work experience they will need to pursue a career in the skilled trades.

We know that District 88 voters have been generous in the past, and we hope that generosity will continue next Tuesday. Please go to the polls at the New Ulm Community Center and vote to support these two worthwhile questions for District 88’s future.