Some school districts are considering whether to ask voters to approve levy requests this year because it’s an off-year election and they think they can better make their cases, says the Pioneer Press.

So expect a lot o’ levies, the story says.

Greg Abbott of the Minnesota School Boards Association said there could be as many as in 2007, another off-year, when 101 levy requests were on ballots across the state.

“I have a feeling it’s going to be a big year,” he said. “We’ll have a lot of districts going out to the polls.”

Officials say they have a better chance of passing school levies when it’s not a major election year with races for the Legislature, governor, Congress or president.

Said the story: 

Typically, odd-numbered years are popular for levy requests: They have a better chance for success because there are fewer races. In odd years since 1991, 71 percent of Minnesota school levy requests were approved. That compares with a success rate of 52 percent in even years.

The school board for the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan district will decide tonight whether to ask voters to renew the current $363-per-pupil levy or ask for more.

Superintendent Jay Haugen said he supports an increase, and he thinks this fall looks more promising than last November, when voters narrowly turned down a request for an extra $347 per pupil.

“We are hopeful because we have a large number of community members driving this,” Haugen said. “We’re certainly nervous about it, as well, because of the ongoing lagging in our economy.”