Byron school board online survey now active

More than 450 residents of the Byron school district have already completed a survey regarding the upcoming levy referendum in the district, Supt. Mike Neubeck told the school board Monday night.
An online survey was launched on May 11 and will be open through June 20 in an effort to collect as many responses as possible to gauge public opinion. Neubeck said the district hopes to hear from between 800 and 1,000 residents and as of Monday night 458 had completed the survey.
The survey is being conducted by DehlerPR, the company hired by the board to help with the referendum effort. Neubeck said that the survey is being publicized through emails to school staff and families, the Byron Buzz newsletter, through Byron Community News distributed in utility bills, sent to township supervisors, posted throughout the community on bulletin boards and distributed at school and community events.
When completed, the results will be analyzed and presented to the board in July, Neubeck. The board is expected to finalize the ballot question in July. Incoming Superintendent Nate Walbruch has indicated he would like a work session in early July to go over the survey results and other referendum issues, Neubeck said.
The district will be asking voters to approve additional operating revenue through a property tax levy in November.
The district has been facing financial challenges for the past two years, due partially to a budget forecasting error but also because of state revenue increases not keeping pace with inflation and other issues. The district receives the third lowest state funding of 331 Minnesota school districts and has made more than $3 million in budget cuts over two years.
After determining the details of the referendum DehlerPR will assist the district in getting its message to the community.
Interim Finance Director Dan Pyan reported to the board that work is continuing on preparing the district budget for 2025-2026 and a draft should be available for the first meeting in June. A preliminary budget needs to be approved by June 30, he said, adding “preliminary budgets are often wrong” and need to be revised later in the year as circumstances change.
At the last meeting, the board hired Shawn Elsbury, currently finance director in Pine Island, as the district’s director. Pyan said Elsbury will begin working at Byron part-time June 3, prior to assuming the duties full-time July 1.
The district also acted on several district policies regarding Title IX as a result of changes in federal rules. A federal district court vacated a set of Title IX regulations in January related to the question of whether Title IX protects students from discrimination on the basis of gender identity and sexual orientation. According to the ruling it does not.
In December the board had approved a policy that followed the new rule. With the rejection of that rule by the court, the Minnesota School Board Association, recommended districts revert to the earlier policy in effect before December.
Monday night the Byron board passed three resolutions regarding the issue. It voted to rescind the Policy 522-204 Revision. It then had a second vote to revert to the former Policy 522. In the third vote, it approved the adoption of amendments to policy 413 on harassment, violence and bullying, that does include gender identity as well as sexual orientation. This policy is in compliance with Minnesota State Law.