By Lori Ehde
Property taxpayers in the Luverne School District may see a 6.36-percent decrease in the school levy next year, according to preliminary figures approved at the Thursday, Sept. 28, board meeting.
The preliminary levy was set at $2,811,370.39 for taxes payable in 2001. That’s almost $191,000 less than last year’s levy, before state tax credits are applied.
According to District Financial Officer Marlene Mann, the decrease was possible this year thanks to a shift in state funding. She said the district will receive more state aid this year, so it will lean less heavily on local taxpayers for support.
The preliminary levy is the amount that will appear on property tax statements this fall. After the annual Truth in Taxation meeting Nov. 30, the board will set the final levy amount in December.
By statute, the final levy may be set lower than the preliminary levy, but it cannot be set higher.
Final enrollment numbers for 2000-01
Board members reviewed the latest district enrollment figures during their Thursday meeting.
A total of 1,384 students are attending Luverne Public Schools this year. That’s 36 fewer than last year.
(See accompanying chart.)
This year, 112 students are attending Luverne as open-enrollees from other districts. That compares with 98 last year.
One hundred ten Luverne students attend school outside of the Luverne district, including 25 open enrollees, 33 home schooled, 45 in Christian schools and seven tuitioned to another district.
That compares with 108 attending class elsewhere last year.
In personnel matters Thursday, the board…
oApproved a contract for Diana Erickson as business teacher at an annual salary of $30,786. That amount includes duties as adviser for Business Professionals of America and adviser for the annual staff.
She started Oct. 2 and replaces Brenda Knutson who took another job after last school year.
oApproved a contract for Wade Hiller as technology coordinator at an annual salary of $30,490. He started Sept. 11 and replaces Bill Rolfs who left the district this spring.
oApproved additional contract time and $6,908 for Patti Nelson to teach fifth-grade music.
oApproved a part-time contract for Bruce Gluf to teach afternoon elementary physical education for $9,981.
In other business Thursday, the board…
oApproved a motion to allocate state class size reduction funding for fiscal year 2001 to the all day every day kindergarten program.
The funding amounts to $11 marginal cost per pupil unit. This comes to $17,634, which is awarded on a year-to-year basis.
oApproved a resolution supporting action by the Minnesota School Boards Association to change legislation governing school board elections.
MSBA is lobbying the Legislature to change the school district elections back to the old system of voting in the spring.