2026 Election Information: Permanent School Fund Constitutional Amendment

Minnesota voters will see a proposed constitutional amendment related to the Permanent School Fund on the November 3, 2026 ballot.

Official Ballot Question:

“Shall the Minnesota Constitution be amended to increase the funding going to all school districts from the permanent school fund, which is a fund that supports school districts without raising individual income or property taxes, effective July 1, 2027?”

What is the Permanent School Fund?

Minnesota has a permanent school fund dated back to 1858 when the Federal Government granted millions of acres of land to the state for the use of public schools.

Today, Minnesota has approximately 2.5 million acres of school trust land and an additional 1 million acres of severed mineral rights. From the sale of some land, from timber sales, mining, land leases, interest earned, and other revenues, the Permanent School Fund has grown from approximately $675 million in 2010 to approximately $2.3 billion in 2025.

Currently, the Minnesota Constitution generally limits distributions from the fund to net interest and dividends. The proposed amendment would change how distributions are determined. If approved by voters, state law provides for an annual distribution equal to 4.5% of the fund’s average net asset value over the previous three fiscal years, beginning July 1, 2027.

The amendment would also establish constitutional principles for managing the fund as a perpetual financial resource for Minnesota schools while preserving its purchasing power over time.

Important Voting Information

Under Minnesota law, constitutional amendments must receive approval from a majority of all voters participating in the election. Leaving the constitutional amendment question blank has the same effect as voting “No.” Voters may vote “Yes” or “No” on the question.

This post is being shared for informational purposes to help our community understand the question appearing on the 2026 ballot.

For additional information about the Permanent School Fund:

Short Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phL5OtEg5no&t=10s

Website: https://www.mnpsfamendment.org/

Information Sheet: https://bit.ly/3GJqiA1

Secretary of State Office Amendment information: https://bit.ly/4gndnX7

Section 8 9-Man Playoff information
Section Playoffs begin Tuesday, October 27
The Storm @ Win-E-Mac Patriots at 6:00PM in Erskine
No Season Passes are accepted
Tickets are $10 for Adults and $5 for Students.
ROLL STORM!

Section 8A Volleyball Playoff Information
Section volleyball playoffs begin on Monday, October 26.
The Storm will host Mahnomen/Waubun at 7:00PM in Stephen.
No Season passes are accepted.
Tickets are $10 for Adults and $5 for students
ROLL STORM!

As superintendents across the area, we spend a great deal of time on how we can provide the best possible education for our students while also being responsible stewards of taxpayer dollars. This November, Minnesotans will have an opportunity to vote on a constitutional amendment involving one of our state's oldest resources for supporting public education: the Permanent School Fund.
The Permanent School Fund has been supporting Minnesota schools since statehood. It is built largely from lands that were set aside generations ago for the benefit of public education, along with the investments and revenues generated from those assets.
The fund itself is intended to last forever. What is being proposed does not change that fundamental responsibility. Instead, the amendment would modernize the way annual distributions from the fund are calculated while requiring that the fund continue to be managed as a perpetual resource for both today's students and future generations.
If approved by voters, Minnesota would distribute 4.5 percent of the fund's three-year average value annually to schools. This approach is similar to the way many long-term endowments are managed because it provides a predictable annual distribution while seeking to preserve the purchasing power of the fund over time.
One of the most important things for taxpayers to understand is that this proposal does not create a new individual income tax or local property tax. Instead, it changes how an existing public education trust fund distributes resources to Minnesota schools.
It is also important to recognize the strong bipartisan support this proposal received at the Legislature. When the Minnesota House initially passed the legislation in May, the vote was 133–0. After the House and Senate reached agreement on the final legislation, the House again approved it unanimously, this time on a 134–0 vote.
At a time when many issues divide Republicans and Democrats, the Permanent School Fund proposal brought legislators from both parties together. The legislation was led in the House by Republican Rep. Spencer Igo and in the Senate by DFL Sen. Mary Kunesh. Legislators from across the political spectrum supported putting the question before Minnesota voters.
For school districts, the Permanent School Fund revenue matters. Rural schools face many of the same increasing costs as larger districts while operating with fewer students over which to spread those costs. Transportation, utilities, insurance, special education, technology, staffing and other necessities continue to become more expensive.
Additional funding from an existing state resource can help schools address those pressures without asking local property taxpayers to carry the entire burden.
There is also an important long-term principle behind this proposal. The Permanent School Fund belongs not just to today's students, but to generations of Minnesota students who will follow them. Any change must protect that legacy. The amendment specifically calls for the fund to be managed in a way that provides annual distributions while preserving its purchasing power and balancing the needs of current and future students.
This November, Minnesota voters will make the final decision.
We encourage residents to learn about the Permanent School Fund, understand what the proposed constitutional amendment would do, and participate in the election. Regardless of political affiliation, we believe there is tremendous value in having an informed conversation about how Minnesota can responsibly use the resources entrusted to us generations ago to support the students sitting in our classrooms today — and those who will sit in them decades from now.
Our communities have always understood that strong schools and strong communities go hand in hand. The Permanent School Fund was created with that same long-term vision. Our responsibility today is to make sure Minnesotans understand the choice before them and the long-term role this fund plays in supporting public education.
Thank you!

Stephen-Argyle Central Families:

Here is information about upcoming Constitutional Amendment Ballot Question.

What does the measure mean to Stephen-Argyle?
Based on Preliminary estimates, if the measure passes SAC Students would earn an additional $10,000 a year. This doesn't sound like a lot, but every dollar is important. Every school in the state would benefit.

More Money, no taxes, really? How does ?
It's the truth. The trust fund was originally set up with rigid investment standards. Using modern day techniques and maximizing a three year average allows additional funds to grow. The fund has ballooned enormously since 2010 using better investment management. The amendment would allow additional dollars to be carefully distributed in a way that continues to help the fund grow perpetually.

Your Vote Counts!! Don't leave the Question Blank.
The most important thing is that you vote to get your voice heard.
Not voting on the measure and leaving the question blank counts as a "no vote".

For additional information about the Permanent School Fund:
- Short video: https://bit.ly/3TyH409
- Website: https://www.mnpsfamendment.org
- Information Sheet: https://bit.ly/3GJqiA1

We are pleased to announce that our new district website has gone live and will be in use moving forward. We are updating the site daily to provide better access and an easier, more functional, product for our families.

While the web address will not change, the look, function, and usefulness of our website will be a point of pride for our district.

Some live features of the site right now:
-Live district school calendar
-Sports, music, and activity calendars
-Daily breakfast / lunch menus
-Better JMC and Hudl linking
-So much more to come!

In the coming weeks, the official SAC App will be available in the Appstore for both Android and Apple devices. With the App, we will provide the full website experience, with also being able to receive push notification alerts from the school district. We will use the notification system for important school announcements, such as:
-Weather related school postponements, cancellations, etc.
-Urgent schedule changes regarding school and activities.

The SAC App will replace the phone message system that was used in the past. This former system became a liability for notifications during the last school year.

The App will also feature a unique experience called Rooms. Parents will be able to log in, using their JMC information, and join the classroom blog for their child's classes. This will allow our teaching staff to better share needed class information in a secure and safe manner, and also turn our App into a one-stop shop for student and family needs. The App is currently in the testing phase, but will be available to our communities in the coming weeks.

There will be plenty of details and questions to come, but we are confident that the new site and app will allow us to better support the needs of our communities. We will be happy to help answer all questions and make this a positive experience for all our families.

Thank you!

www.sac.k12.mn.us