To place an obituary, please send an email to obits@pioneerpress.com including the following information, as there is currently no option to place obituaries through our website. For any questions, feel free to contact our obituary desk at 651-228-5263.

**General Information:**
– Your full name
– Address (City, State, Zip Code)
– Phone number
– Alternate phone number (if any)

**Obituary Specifications:**
– Name of Deceased
– Obituary Text
– A photo in JPEG or PDF format is preferable; TIF and other file types are accepted. We will contact you if there are any issues with the photo.
– Ad Run Dates

There is a discount for running the obituary more than one day, but this must be arranged on the first run date. If a photo is included, it must be used for all days to qualify for the discount. Please contact us for more information.

**Policies:**

*Verification of Death:*
To publish obituaries, we require the name and phone number of the funeral home or cremation society handling the arrangements. We must contact them during business hours to verify the death. If the deceased’s body was donated to the University of Minnesota Anatomy Bequest Program or a similar program, their phone number must be provided for verification.

A death certificate is also acceptable for this purpose. Only one of these verification options is necessary. Please allow enough time for us to complete verification, especially during limited weekend hours.

*Guestbook and Outside Websites:*
We are not permitted to reference other media sources, guestbooks, or obituaries placed elsewhere when publishing in print and online. However, we may include a funeral home website or family email contact. Contact us with any questions regarding this policy.

**Obituary Process:**
Once your submission is complete, we will fax or email a proof for your review before publication. This proof will include pricing and the scheduled publication days. Please review carefully and notify us of any corrections before publication based on deadlines. We cannot be responsible for errors after final proof approval.

For changes to online obituaries after publication, please contact the obituary desk.

**Payment Procedure:**
Pre-payment is required before publication by the stated deadlines. After approving the proof, call 651-228-5263 to provide payment information.

*Accepted payment methods:*
– Credit Card: Payment accepted by phone only due to PCI regulations.
– EFT: Provide routing and account numbers by phone.

**Rates:**
– Minimum charge: $162 for the first 12 lines.
– Each additional line (after 12) costs $12.
– Ads under 12 lines will be charged the minimum rate of $162.
– Obituaries over 40 lines receive a 7.5% discount per additional line.
– A 20% discount applies to both placements on a second run date.
– Place three obituaries and the third is free of charge.
– Each photo published is $125 per day. For example, two photos over two days equals four photo charges totaling $500.

**Deadlines:**
Please adhere to the following hours and deadlines to ensure publication on the requested day.

*Hours Deadline (no exceptions) for Ad Photos:*
Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM (Closed weekends and holidays)

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**MEMORIAM (Non-Obituary) Requests:**
Memoriam submissions are remembrances of loved ones and have different rates than obituaries. For more information, please contact us at 651-228-5280 or submit your memoriam ad to memoriams@pioneerpress.com.

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**St. Paul School Levy Referendum Update**

St. Paul voters went to the polls on Tuesday to decide on a school levy referendum proposing an increase in property taxes to fund St. Paul Public Schools for the next ten years. Early Tuesday night results were not yet available.

The referendum seeks to increase the district’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil annually for ten years, starting with taxes payable in 2026. This amount will be adjusted annually for inflation.

The ballot language reads:
“The board of Independent School District No. 625 (Saint Paul), Minnesota has proposed to increase the School District’s general education revenue by $1,073 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed new referendum revenue authorization would be first levied in 2025 for taxes payable in 2026 and applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.”

Voters previously approved a similar levy in 2018, which provided $1,180 per student, or $18.6 million per year plus inflation, for 10 years. The current proposal would add to the existing levy rather than replace it.

According to Tom Sager, the district’s executive chief of financial services, under state law, the school board may renew the 2018 levy as it expires without returning to voters.

If approved, the average St. Paul homeowner with a median-value home will see a $309 annual increase in property taxes, equivalent to about $26 per month. However, the total property tax impact for next year won’t be finalized until December, when city, county, and school district levies are set.

Neighborhood tax impacts vary. Homeowners in St. Anthony Park, Battle Creek, Sunray, Highwood, and downtown St. Paul may experience the smallest percentage increases, though still several hundred dollars. In contrast, neighborhoods such as the North End, Payne-Phalen, Thomas-Dale/Frogtown, and the West Side may face the highest percentage increases.

Without this additional funding, district officials anticipate budget cuts of at least $37 million for the 2026-27 school year. The new levy is expected to generate approximately $37.2 million annually.

The district has actively promoted the referendum, spending $59,977 on informational materials as of October 29. Including the required mailed notice, total expenses for publicizing the referendum amount to $108,257.
https://www.twincities.com/2025/11/04/voters-will-decide-on-st-paul-public-schools-levy-referendum-tuesday/