# $121.7 million referendum *A fall 2019 school-district referendum in Eastern Carver County Schools that failed.* The **$121.7 million referendum** was put to voters of [[Eastern Carver County Schools]] in fall 2019, and it failed.[^1] The [[Star Tribune]] reported that the district's earlier referenda, in 2013 and 2015, had passed "by wide margins." It also reported that the 2019 measure was the first in the district's history to face organized "Vote No" groups.[^1] The vote came in the same months as a federal lawsuit against the district. *T.B., et al. v. Independent School District 112*, No. 0:19-cv-02414 (D. Minn.), was filed on September 3, 2019, by families from [[Chaska]].[^2] Plaintiffs' counsel announced it as a civil-rights suit over race discrimination.[^2] A [[consent decree]] imposing court-ordered obligations on the district was entered in the case in March 2022.[^2] Between the filing and the vote, the district put several equity measures in place. It created an [[Equity Advisory Council]], commissioned an equity audit, created a higher-level equity director post, and required equity training for administrators.[^1] The Star Tribune's coverage of the campaign ran under the headline *Eastern Carver County Schools equity efforts become part of levy battle*.[^1] ## What - The referendum asked district voters to approve $121.7 million, and it failed in fall 2019.[^1] - According to the Star Tribune, the 2019 measure was the first district referendum to face organized "Vote No" groups.[^1] Two opponents named in that coverage did not live in the district.[^1] - The Star Tribune reported that a September 2019 video described the district's equity work as "a toxic agenda."[^1] ## When - **Spring 2019:** Parents complained to the school board about racist bullying.[^1] - **September 3, 2019:** *T.B., et al. v. Independent School District 112*, No. 0:19-cv-02414, was filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota.[^2] - **After the filing:** The superintendent apologized. The district then took four steps:[^1] - created an Equity Advisory Council; - commissioned an equity audit; - replaced a staff equity coordinator with a higher-level equity director; - required equity training for administrators. - **September 2019:** A video opposing the referendum described the equity work as "a toxic agenda."[^1] - **Fall 2019:** The $121.7 million referendum failed.[^1] - **March 2022:** A consent decree was entered in the federal case.[^2] ## How much - The referendum sought $121.7 million.[^1] - The district's 2013 and 2015 referenda passed "by wide margins," according to the Star Tribune.[^1] - The sources in this record do not give the 2019 vote totals or how the $121.7 million would have been divided among purposes.[^1] ## In the at-issue record The project's at-issue matrix lists the referendum as pair AI-Carver-077. The pair sits in Block E, which covers the consent decree and what followed from it.[^1] The pair sets out the sequence above, from the spring 2019 complaints to the March 2022 consent decree. Its single listed source is the Star Tribune.[^1] The matrix anchors the pair to a January 2025 White House presidential action, *Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity*.[^3] The record in this pack does not state what that order requires of the district, or whether the order has been applied to the consent decree.[^3] ## Notes [^1]: Star Tribune, *Eastern Carver County Schools equity efforts become part of levy battle* (undated) — establishes that the $121.7 million referendum failed in fall 2019; the 2013 and 2015 referenda passed "by wide margins"; 2019 was the first to face organized "Vote No" groups; two opponents did not live in the district; the September 2019 "a toxic agenda" video; and the source of the spring-2019-to-March-2022 sequence in at-issue pair AI-Carver-077. https://www.startribune.com/eastern-carver-county-schools-equity-efforts-become-part-of-levy-battle/563919932 [^2]: Nichols Kaster, PLLP and Madia Law LLC via PR Newswire, *Chaska families file federal civil rights lawsuit against Eastern Carver County School District* (2019) — establishes the filing of *T.B., et al. v. Independent School District 112*, 0:19-cv-02414 (D. Minn., filed 2019-09-03). The project's validated Carver matrix (row CC1) pairs this source with the March 2022 consent decree. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/chaska-families-represented-by-nichols-kaster-pllp-and-madia-law-llc-file-federal-civil-rights-lawsuit-against-eastern-carver-county-school-district-for-rampant-race-discrimination-300910956.html [^3]: The White House, *Ending Illegal Discrimination and Restoring Merit-Based Opportunity* (January 2025) — the federal presidential action that at-issue pair AI-Carver-077 uses as its anchor. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/ending-illegal-discrimination-and-restoring-merit-based-opportunity/