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Committee reviews school property tax levies: operating referendums, equalization, bond credits and OPEB
Summary
House fiscal staff detailed the February property tax levy tracking for school districts — covering operating referendums, equalization aid, capital and debt levies, the school building bond agricultural credit and OPEB bonds and levies — and explained how local votes and tax base affect district levies.
On March 11, 2025, the House Education Finance Committee reviewed a property tax levy tracking spreadsheet prepared by House fiscal staff that updated November 2024 levy estimates to February 2025. Staff said the packet shows general fund levies, community service fund levies, debt service levies, OPEB/pension debt levies and the credits that reduce school property tax levies.
Staff reported that the total certified levies for school districts for the year paid in 2024 (pay 25) were about $3,867,000,000 statewide, according to the spreadsheet. The packet includes line items for commonly used levies: operating referendums, long‑term facilities maintenance (LTFM) levies, capital/technology levies and debt service levies that repay voter‑approved bonds.
House fiscal staff explained how referendum financing and equalization work. The operating referendum is the largest single component of many districts’ levies; voters can approve an operating referendum to raise an additional…
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