Statement from Rochester Public Schools

On October 30, 2023, a Rochester resident brought a lawsuit against the Rochester Public Schools District and school board members in relation to the 2023 Capital Projects Levy Technology for Transformation. Yesterday, the Olmsted County District Court dismissed this case in its entirety, ruling that RPS appropriately used the Capital Projects Levy in accordance with Minnesota Statutes.

“We are pleased that the Court issued its order to completely dismiss the complaint Ms. McGregor filed against the District,” said Superintendent Kent Pekel. "The District maintained all along that there was no ballot error, and the Court agreed. It is unfortunate that this lawsuit, which received extensive press coverage, may have become a distraction for some voters shortly before an election that resulted in the narrow defeat of an important referendum proposal by 318 votes. In addition, Rochester Public Schools was forced to incur more than $31,000 in funding that could and should have gone to support teaching and learning to defend this case in court.”