St. Louis County headed to polls on property tax vote

Voters in St. Louis county head to the polls Tuesday to decide whether to raise their own property taxes to pay for nearly $80 million in construction projects.

The centerpiece of the $78 million plan involves closing four schools and replacing them with two new ones. That would leave the district with a total of five schools.

The St. Louis County district spreads across more than 4,200 square miles of northern Minnesota.

District leaders say declining enrollment has left the district with excess building capacity. Approval would raise yearly property taxes by about $250 on a $150,000 house.

But critics say closing schools would harm the small towns where they're located. Others say they should have suggested multiple options, instead of just one big plan.

If approved, the new schools would open in two years.