Northern Minnesota is under a new alert until Friday at 7 p.m.

MPR News helps you turn down the noise and build shared understanding. Turn up your support for this public resource and keep trusted journalism accessible to all. 

Turn Up Your Support

Attempts to build new schools in two southwestern Minnesota districts had mixed results Tuesday.

In Worthington, the bond vote to build a new intermediate school failed by just 17 votes. In nearby Tyler, voters approved a measure to build a new K-12 school by 410 votes.

'Bond buster' works to defeat school funding measures

Both districts contended with opposition from Paul Dorr, a consultant who's helped kill school funding measures across the Midwest.

"Paul Dorr tried to rip us apart. Now it's time to mend the fences and pull together," said David Marlette, the superintendent of the Russell-Tyler-Ruthton schools.

Dorr has been involved in the defeat of the three prior Worthington bond votes, which took place in November 2016, February 2018 and August 2018. After one of last year's votes, people boycotted businesses that supported the school's campaign.

, before the vote. He has said his ultimate goal is the end of public education.

Alex Baumhardt

Author

Both southwestern Minnesota school districts contended with opposition from Paul Dorr, a consultant who has helped kill school funding measures across the Midwest. The push to build a new intermediate school in Worthington, Minn., failed by 17 votes.

Voters OK money to build a school in Tyler, but not Worthington

Go Deeper.

Like this?