The Forest Lake Area School Board is asking taxpayers to vote for an operating levy increase and a bond issue, a move school officials say is necessary because of state funding cuts.

Approval would allow the district of 6,700 students to increase the existing levy from $725 per pupil to $1,195. The current levy expires in 2011-2012.

The increase would cost taxpayers an additional $77.55 per year for every $100,000 of value of their homes.

The school's website, which refers to it as the "Levy for Learning," says approval "will prevent major increases in class sizes and the need for drastic measures such as moving to a four-day school week, closing a school and closing the community's only public pool."

The district is also asking taxpayers to approve a $24 million, 20-year building bond.

If approved, about $6.4 million would be used to fund science, technology, engineering and math classrooms. That includes upgrading greenhouses, biology equipment and computer labs with more modern equipment.

Another $14 million will be used to replace heating, ventilating and air conditioning units, school officials said.

"Our aging equipment, in many cases original equipment from the 1950s and 1960s are in need of replacement," according to the website. "They are no longer operating effectively and do not operate efficiently according to today's standards."

The energy efficiency upgrades will have a three-to five-year payback on energy savings, officials said.

Another $3.5 million of the money would be used to install security cameras and improve other safety measures at the schools, officials said.

For more information: www.forestlake.k12.mn.us/

Daarel Burnette II • 651-735-1695