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School board certifies preliminary 2025 (payable 2026) levy at maximum authority; district finance director outlines impacts
Summary
The board certified the district's preliminary levy for 2025 payable in 2026, which the finance director said totals about $27 million and is down roughly 0.98% from the prior certified amount; staff noted the levy touches three counties and that the estimate assumes stable property values.
The board voted to certify the district's preliminary 2025 levy (payable 2026) at the maximum authority required for county auditors.
Val Mardustorf (district finance director) reviewed the levy table and the components that make up the district's certified levy, including voter‑approved operating levies, capital projects, state‑authorized levies and debt service. She told trustees the total levy the district is certifying is approximately $27,000,018 and that three counties will receive the certification (Rice County is the primary county; portions of district property lie in Dakota and Goodhue counties). She emphasized that about 73% of the levy base is voter‑approved levy authority.
Why it matters: the levy funds roughly a quarter of the district's operating resources and is the primary local revenue source for the general fund and debt service. Certification is a required administrative step; the county auditors use the district's certified amounts to prepare tax notices and collections.
Details shared by staff - Levy total: staff presented a preliminary levy figure of roughly $27.0 million (all funds). Staff described the general fund component, the debt service portion and the community‑education levy portion and noted some year‑to‑year changes (a modest overall decline of about $271,000 or roughly 0.98% relative to the prior year). - Drivers of change: staff cited a decline in enrollment as a reason the state‑authorized portion declined slightly; community‑education levies increased because of levied school‑age care costs related to students with higher support needs; last year's larger levy included one‑time severance payments for retirements that did not recur at the same level. - Tax impact: district material presented an illustrative taxpayer impact showing that, assuming unchanged market values, the school portion of taxes would decline for a typical homeowner by approximately 4–5% (staff cautioned actual bills depend on market value changes and county calculations). - Timeline: staff explained the preliminary certification must be filed with county auditors by Sept. 30; the district will finalize certification in December after finalizing other budget data; counties will mail tax statements in November and again in the spring after final certification.
Board action: A motion to certify the preliminary levy at the maximum authority passed. The motion was moved by Trustee Ben (first name used in the meeting), seconded by Trustee Corey Butler. The board voted in favor with no recorded roll‑call breakdown in the public transcript.
