Posted: 12/22/04
By MaryHelen Swanson
Rush City Schools held its truth in taxation hearing Dec. 6 with only one member of the public showing up.
The budget was reviewed, however, by the board and for the one individual on hand.
The school district is levying the maximum allowed, making the final levy which was adopted Dec. 16 $1,541,693.16.
That breaks down to $216,706.75 for the general fund, $34,237.13 for community service and $1,290,749.28 for debt redemption.
The adopted levy represents a 6.11 percent increase over 2004.
It was noted at the Dec. 6 meeting that there are seven steps in the property tax process. The school district has control over only one of the steps.
The process is as follows:
1-the city or county assessor determines the estimated market value for each parcel in the county.
2- The Legislature sets the formulas for tax capacity. These formulas determine how much of the tax burden will fall on different types of property.
3- The county auditor calculates the tax capacity for each parcel in the county as well as the total tax capacity for each school district.
4- The Legislature sets the formulas which determine school district levy limits. These are the maxim um amounts of taxes that school districts can levy in every category.
5- The Minnesota Department of Education calculates detailed levy limits for each district based on the formulas approved by the Legislature in step 4. These limits tell the districts the exact amounts that can be levied in every category.
6- The school board adopts a proposed levy in September, based on the limits set in step 5. After a public hearing (truth in taxation hearing), the board adopts a final levy in December.
7- The county auditor divides the final levy (determined by the school board in step #6) by the districtís total tax capacity to determine the tax rate needed to raise the property levy amount. The auditor multiplies this tax rate times each propertyís tax capacity to determine the school tax for that property.
At last weekís meeting, the school board also approved a music department trip to Washington, D.C. for next summer. The music department takes a trip every four years.
Next summerís trip will include a performance at the U.S. Navy Memorial and Heritage Center. It will also include a busy itinerary of tours including the Holocaust Museum, Smithsonian museums, the Capitol, if possible, and placing a wreath at the tomb of the unknown soldier.
The board also approved fund-raising efforts for the music department trip.
As a participant and host school of the St. Croix River Education District, the school board was apprised of grants received by SCRED.
A federal grant in the amount of $476,699, E2T2, is part of the No Child Left Behind law. The grant runs through Sept. 2005, so $79,408 will be used in the 2005-2006 school year. The grant provided each Rush City school with an LCD projector and related equipment for teachers to use in reviewing student performance data at grade level meetings.
In addition, $26,,221 has been allocated to Rush City for staff development.
Rush City receives $6,515 for expenses as fiscal host of the grant.
A Reading First grant in the amount of $200,000 was received by SCRED as part of a national initiative to promote effective reading practices in a five-year federal grant.
SCRED is one of three entities and the only school district in Minnesota to receive this grant.
The grant supports training in literacy skills. It provides for a part-time literacy coach in each of the schools.
Rush City schools will receive $3,547 for expenses as fiscal host of this grant, also.
Eleven SCRED schools were chosen out of 53 applicants to receive the Practices in Sciences and Social Studies grant totalling $47,800.
The school board also learned from principal Vern Koepp that there are still some bugs to iron out with the heating system at the elementary school.
Finally, the board tabled approval of seniority lists to January.
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