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Rochester Public Schools certifies $104.48 million 2026 levy after amendment to include Wabasha County
Summary
The Rochester Public Schools Board on Dec. 16 certified a $104,475,566.92 property tax levy for taxes payable in 2026, after a brief Truth in Taxation presentation and one public comment. The board amended the resolution to note the district serves Olmsted and Wabasha counties before approving it by voice vote.
The Rochester Public Schools Board on Tuesday evening approved the district's 2026 property tax levy, certifying a total levy of $104,475,566.92 for taxes payable in 2026.
Director of Finance Andy Krogstead presented the statutorily required Truth in Taxation overview, saying the district's preliminary levy numbers were unchanged from September and that the board's adopted budget for the fiscal year shows roughly $410 million in revenue and about $445 million in expenditures, with capital projects accounting for much of the difference. "We did increase our overall general fund by about $16,000,000 but only $2,000,000 or slightly more of that is available in our unassigned fund balance," Krogstead said, explaining that the remainder is reserved or restricted by the Minnesota Department of Education and other funders.
During the public hearing portion of the meeting, Joanne Barkmeier, identified herself as a parent of four district students and praised the district's openness and audit record. "Rochester Public Schools is independently audited every single year by outside professionals ... and they've consistently come back clean," Barkmeier said, urging the board to keep focus on classroom supports.
Later in the regular meeting the board read and considered a resolution to certify the levy at $104,475,566.92, allocated as follows: General Fund $66,418,275.61; Community Services Fund $5,834,571.15; General Debt Service $32,222,720.16. A board member moved and the board approved an amendment clarifying that the district serves Olmsted and Wabasha counties; the amended resolution was then approved by voice vote.
The board and district staff emphasized that the change noted in the presentation regarding a decline in the general fund was the result of a reclassification of certain debt payments into the debt service fund by MDE, not a reduction in tax collections. Krogstead told the board that the shift did not change the overall levy but moved revenue and associated debt payments to the appropriate fund.
The board did not record a roll-call tally at the podium; the motion to certify the levy and the amendment were approved by voice vote.
Next steps: the district will file the certified levy with county auditors so it can appear on property tax statements for the 2026 payable year.
