• Your home’s value: Homes in strong school districts typically sell for 10 to 20% more than similar homes in weaker ones. For most of us, our house is our biggest asset.

• Safer neighborhoods: Research links higher graduation rates to real, measurable reductions in crime. Funded after-school programs, sports and clubs keep kids engaged instead of unsupervised.

• A skilled local workforce: Our schools are where the next nurses, tradespeople and skilled workers get their start. Career and technical programs are often the first to go.

• Healthcare: About 1 in 3 Duluth jobs are in healthcare. That’s why you don’t have to drive to the Twin Cities for a mammogram or a knee scope. It only lasts if doctors can recruit here, and every cut makes Duluth a harder sell to the doctor deciding where to raise their kids.

• Results: Duluth students just beat the state average in reading and science, and matched it in math. Regionally, 2nd in reading and 1st in science. That happened during 3 years of budget cuts.

Sources: Opendoor, 2025 school ratings and home price data. Lochner and Moretti, “The Effect of Education on Crime,” American Economic Review, 2004.