Rochester schools receive $10 million Mayo donation, delays school closures

Rochester Public Schools looks to close 3 schools

One of the largest school districts in Minnesota is looking to close three schools after voters rejected an operating levy.

ROCHESTER, Minn. (FOX 9) - A $10 million donation from the Mayo Clinic will add an influx of revenue to the Rochester Public Schools district, allowing it to nix budgets cuts it had previously proposed for now.

On Wednesday, Mayo announced the gift intended, "to enable the school district to sustain the implementation of the district’s strategic plan for academic transformation."

As a result of the $10 million donation, Rochester Public School Superintendent Kent Pekel said changes have been made to its Attendance Options Redesign proposal in November, which included closing up to three schools.

"This extraordinary investment means we will not need to make budget cuts previously proposed," Pekel said during a community announcement Wednesday.

Previously, Rochester Superintendent Kent Pekel told FOX 9 the district would be looking at the closure of three schools to make $10 million in cuts after an operating levy was rejected by voters in November. The referendum failed by a small margin of around 300 votes.

Throughout its last two years, the district has made $21 million in budget cuts already.

"We had cut through muscle, and would have been into bone without this donation," Pekel said Wednesday.

The revised proposal will also reaffirm the school district’s plan to implement changes to its school starting and ending times, while altering its transportation routes more efficiently. Elementary schools will be in session from 7:55 a.m. to 2:15 p.m., middle schools will be in session from 8:35 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. and high schools will be in session from 8:50 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Despite the donation, Pekel said the district still faces budget challenges ahead, and will continue to seek a referendum from the community – likely during the next election cycle to coincide with increased voter turnout for the presidential election.

"If we do not convince the community to make a continued investment in Rochester Public Schools we will be back in this position a year from now," Pekel said.

Pekel said he intends to ask the school board to pursue a referendum to bolster its budget going forward, which will draft and approve its next budget in January 2024.

According to the Minnesota School Boards Association, only 12 out of 27 districts seeking operating levies were victorious.

Impact of failed school referendums in MN

Despite a historic investment in education this past legislative session, many Minnesota school districts are still facing huge budget shortfalls. When turning to voters for help during the election, more than half of the districts statewide were rejected.