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O R O S O SCHOOLS <br />685 Old Cr> stal Bay Road <br />Lona Lake. Minnesota 55356 <br />(612)473-7313 <br />Fax (612) 473-1477 <br />Independent School District 278 <br />November 20, 1990 <br />William A. Fenholt <br />Superintendent <br />/vov 2 1 1S90 <br />Ms. Dorothy Hal 1 in <br />1335 Brown Road South <br />Crystal Bay, MN 55323 <br />Dear Ms. Hal 1 in: <br />We thought that each city clerk or administrator in our school <br />district might like to receive information regarding the school's tax <br />levy. Obviously, this brief letter does not cover all aspects of the <br />levy increase but will, hopefully, give you some advance information. <br />-irst, the School Board is not raising taxes by 16.9%. This <br />percentage represents the dollar increase over last year's levy. When <br />this amount is spread over the total tax base, which has increased <br />about 12%, the increase will be less for most taxpayers. However, the <br />dollar increase on a specific property will depend upon a number of <br />variables, including whether or not the property has been reassessed. <br />Second, the total dollar levy is determined largely by the state <br />and, except in two of the three areas the School Board has control <br />(Referenda and Debt Service), the matters first must face a vote of <br />the electorate. The only item in the current levy which is not a <br />result of mandates, voter approval, or essential to the maintenance of <br />our facilities and instructional program is the amount being levied <br />for the fifty-one acre tract of land. That decision was the result of <br />serious facilities planning for the school district. <br />Our basic operating levy, under the state mandated formula, is <br />determined by the tax base; as the base increases, the dollars <br />collected locally increase with a corresponding decrease in state <br />aids. The end result of this "Robin Hood" concept is that more state <br />aids are then paid to other school districts with declining property <br />value. This year's levy is for the 1991-92 school year and the <br />legislature has stated that we will receive no increase in general <br />education aid for 1991-92 even though almost half of the levy increase <br />is for this purpose. We hope this will be changed during the 1991 <br />session. <br />Serving . . • Independence —Long Lake—Maple Plain—Medina —Minnetonka Beach—Orono <br />An Equal Opportunity Employer