The International Falls School Board unanimously approved on Monday what Superintendent Nordy Nelson described as a modest levy of about $1.9 million or 1.1 percent over 2012 for the upcoming year.
Nelson said Independent School Board 361’s local taxpayer levy really is relatively the same as in most recent years. It makes up an estimated 15 percent of the district’s yearly revenue budget, Nelson said.
The vast majority of the levy, which comes from taxpayers, goes into the general fund, according to the agenda for the meeting in the Falls High School cafeteria.
However, what complicates the matter, he said, is that the district’s population keeps going down, the state’s education contribution is relatively unchanged and local property values have roughly doubled since 1998. The latter is putting more of a burden on residents from other tax collectors.
“We’ve basically been holding things level with what we’ve asked for in terms of tax contributions and the budget,” Nelson explained.
He, with some help from board Chairman Stuart Nordquist, described to about 20 members of the public how the levy and taxation process is intended to maintain the district’s good standing the the public and its children.
“We’ve had quite a drop in the number of students over the past 10 years, about 300 actually, and that makes a difference in terms of operations,” Nelson said.
But he never said it impacts student performance.
The state’s contribution is based on factors such as the general population as well as district students.
According to figures from the Truth in Taxation hearing that took place during the meeting, the estimated number of IDS 361’s “resident pupil units” is 1,568 for the this school year, compared to 2,007 back in 1999-2000.
While administrators have been known to cut back on teachers, secretaries and other administration to assist students, some increases are non-negotiable such as the price of fuel for heat and transportation.
Nelson said that while what the district requests tends to stay the same, “there’s not much of a difference in the state’s allowance per pupil,” such as accounting for inflation.
Although the economy is getting back on track – supposedly along with more revenue streams – education spending hasn’t caught up yet, he said.
He also said the board and concerned also will have to consider whom to address and what their concerns are, particularly those of older residents, who make up a much of the area’s shrinking voting block today.
No one objected to the levy on residents on Monday. In fact, no one from the public spoke at all during the regular meeting.
One man did complain about his property taxes going up during the district’s mandatory Truth in Taxation hearing, but Nelson explained to him he needs to speak with the Koochiching County assessor and state officials about those issues and not the school board.
The board also unanimously received, without discussion yet, both the fiscal year 2013 revised revenue and expenditure budget as well as the fiscal year 2014 capital outlay facility plan.
Finally, there was no discussion Monday at all about what’s currently non-active mediation with the teachers union. Members have been working with an expired contract for more than a year.
