Stillwater schools has an incredibly important election happening on November 2, 2021.  The current levy is set to expire and, if not renewed, there will be heartbreaking cuts to our academics, athletics and activities.  We have put detailed information about the levy and potential cuts at the end of this message if you wish to read, but we wanted to give our football supporters the info they need to help get this levy passed. 

For football and all athletics, failure to pass this levy will mean deep cuts and increased fees to participate.  Our football program understands the value of kids being in after-school activities and we don’t want families to be priced out of allowing their sons to be a Stillwater Ponies football player.  In addition, with increased fees comes potential decreased financial support of the Ponies Touchdown Club, which heavily supports our football program in many ways but specifically with equipment purchases including helmets to keep our boys safe. 

What we are asking of our Ponies football community:

Commit to voting YES to both questions on November 2nd.  EVERY vote counts, so please make a plan to vote.

Spread this message to your Stillwater friends and family and ask that they support our public schools by voting YES on November 2nd.  Personally connect with 10 people about the importance of this election.

If you have college age students, please encourage them to come home and vote early or absentee vote and ask them to send this link out to all their Stillwater friends requesting they do the same.  Here is the link: Vote.  Absentee ballots must be received by election day to count.

Friday night’s homecoming game was an incredibly special night in Pony Stadium filled with amazing energy from a community that loves our public schools.  If every one of us that felt the pride and joy of being a Pony on Friday night commits to voting YES, we will get this levy passed for our students and our community!

Additional levy information:

Passage of the November 2nd levy vote is critical for our students and our programming (academic, athletic, and arts).

Failure of the levy on 11/2 will lead to more than $12 million dollars in cuts annually.

Here in Stillwater schools we have had a levy like this in place for 20+ years that has allowed our district to provide quality programming for our students.

Failure to pass question one on the ballot will allow the current operating levy to expire gutting our programs (academic, athletic, and arts) and will lead to the loss of 100+ teachers. Quality Student opportunities will disappear and class sizes will be greatly expanded should question one fail.

Passage of question one (renewal and slight increase of the operating levy) will result in a tax increase of just 17 cents per month on an average-priced home in ISD #834 ($350,000).

Question 2 on the ballot is a new levy for dedicated funds to support technology needs in ISD #834. Stillwater is one of 2 metro districts without such a levy leaving us challenged annually to fund the technology needed to provide our students the 21st century learning experiences they all deserve.

Passage of question 2 on the Nov. 2nd ballot would lead to a monthly cost of $11.50 for owners of an average-priced home ($350,000).

Passage of both questions will ensure that Stillwater Schools are able to provide our students with quality programming, ample opportunities to learn, grow, and develop, and the ability to compete with our neighboring and comparable districts who already have these funding sources secured and often at much higher levels.

Please see the following data for additional details (slides #5 and #9 are particularly telling): District 834 Levy Presentation