Forest Lake board approves preliminary levy, joins AMSD and adopts MSBA resolution

Forest Lake Area Schools’ Board of Education on Sept. 18 approved several administrative items, including certification of a preliminary property tax levy for pay 2026, authorization to join the Association of Metropolitan School Districts (AMSD), and submission of a Minnesota School Boards Association (MSBA) legislative resolution on transportation funding.

The actions matter because they set the district’s near‑term financial posture and legislative priorities: certifying a preliminary levy preserves the district’s ability to finalize tax requests after state data is finalized; joining AMSD gives the district access to a regional advocacy and professional development network; and the MSBA resolution seeks a larger state share of the district’s transportation cross‑subsidy.

The board certified the preliminary levy as the “maximum” amount to preserve flexibility while state reporting is completed. Director Amber Guy explained the preliminary levy…