By REED WALLER
Staff Writer
NRHEG District approved it’s tax levy following a truth in taxation hearing Dec. 20, 2021 and continues to show the lowest tax levies of any other school district in Southern Minnesota, showing $453 for 2021, less than half of Waseca.
Truth in Taxation
The annual Truth in Taxation hearing was presided over by NRHEG Business Manager Karla Christopherson Monday, December 20 preceding the regular monthly board meeting.
After the property tax statements are distributed, a public hearing must be held to hear comments or objections before the levy can be certified.
The school levy is set either by state formula, or by the voters by operating referendum or building bonds.
The State Legislature sets the tax capacity for the district in different types of property. The County Auditor then calculates the tax based on the state-determined tax capacity. The Auditor then divides the total levy by total tax capacity to determine the rate needed.
Since 2003 funding has trailed inflation by $639 per pupil, $568 million annually. This disparity between State aid and revenue must be offset by local operating referendum.
The Fiscal Year 22 budget carries a $189,320 deficit in General Fund and $164,357 total. Credits in Community Education and Debt Service have helped. Farms bear 6.8 percent of net taxes this year, Commercial and Industrial 32.6 percent, and Residential 43.4 percent.
Watch for your 2022 statement in March.
Ag2School Tax Credit affects all existing Fund 7 debt levies except OPEB bonds. This relief is scheduled to scale up to 70 percent in 2023. The money comes from state income, sales and other tax revenue.
NRHEG attained a Long-Term Facility Maintenance plan, which is for the Secondary Gym Bleachers and the Secondary Lobby Entrance. The total revenue was $632,484.17. The local share of the debt is $466,211.74.
The board resolved to set the proposed 2022 NRHEG tax levies at:
General: $1,113,891.38
Community Service: $88,950.44
General Debt: $676,309.92
TOTAL: $1,879,151.74
Regular Meeting
Following a Readers’ Theater production based on “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by members of Deb Bently’s class with a few last-minute replacements, the regular meeting proceeded with the Superintendent’s report given by Supt. Michael Meihak.
A decision will be made at the January meeting as to amending the school calendar by eliminating the early outs and adding an additional full day of professional development. Alternatively the board may decide to make MLK Day a Professional Development Day.
Also in January SitelogIQ will be making a presentation to the Building and Grounds Committee, and later to the full board.
“Our Long Term Facility Maintenance Committee continues to meet and felt it was important to provide an update of district projects,” Meihak said.
The 2021-22 LTFM budget was calculated at about $312,000. Projects include: Gym Lobby Entrance, Bleachers, Ellendale bus parking lot, Media Center flooring, Gym wall mats, and painting and lighting projects.
The 2022-23 budget is projected at about $345,000. This includes: Exterior Door Replacement, Exterior building siding/repair, HS gym refinishing, Track resurfacing, and more painting and lighting projects.
“We’d like to register a thank you,” said board chair Rick Schultz, “to the people helping out in Hartland.”
Donations
St. Peter Lutheran Church-Otisco $200 for Elementary Classroom Supplies; Finly’ Wings at Work $899 for Rowing Machine, $500 for Smart Room, $2,724 for 3 LCD Monitors, and $4,361.66 for Gaga Ball Pit; First National Bank Waseca $3,598 for Portable Smart Board and $850 for Light Table.
Total: $13,132.66
Year to date: $60,530.16.
Workforce
Resignations were accepted from Kelly Delacruz, Yearbook Advisor, and Nancy Rudau, High School Ambassador Advisor.
Employment contract was approved for Holly Stein, High School Ambassador.
Contract Renewal was approved for Karla Christopherson, Business Manager.
World’s Best Workforce
Teaching and Learning Coordinator Marah Ryks presented the annual World’s Best Workforce report as prepared by her, Nick Jurrens and Dave Bunn.
To review, the goals of the World’s Best Workforce are: All students ready for Kindergarten, All 3rd Grade students to read at grade level, All achievement gaps between students closed, All students ready for career and college, and All students graduate from high school. The objectives are linked to the NRHEG Strategic Plan.
Most of the data used in these reports are gathered from the MDE Report Card.
The numbers overall continue to drop, probably because of COVID.
In FY21 the district met the goal of 80 percent. In FY22 56 percent of kindergarteners were preschool ready.
“NRHEG preschool is not yet fully funded. Also, a few of our students chose to attend preschool elsewhere.”
Grade Level Literacy at 3rd grade: NRHEG 2021: 34.6 percent, 2019: 48.3. MN 2021 48.5 percent, 2019 54.6.
Grade Level Math Literacy at 3rd grade: NRHEG 2021: 57.7 percent, 2019: 66.7. (same as Statewide)
Ryks told the board that NRHEG will be using STAR assessments for literary growth from now on, which will bring faster results and better monitoring than the MCA III.
Other goals are limited by the small staff size of NRHEG and/or the canceling of programs due to COVID.
“We did okay through COVID,” remarked board chair Rick Schultz. “They all (other districts) went down, we didn’t do any worse, we should be happy.”
Finance
Quotes for a 53-Passenger and 77-Passenger Bus (later corrected to a 72-Passenger bus) were approved to be paid by two $15,000 school bus replacement grants.
“In addition to the recommendation,” said Supt. Meihak, “a note of appreciation to Macy Whiteside for her work as District Grant Writer to secure this substantial amount of money.”
The board adopted a resolution to enter into the joint powers agreement with PMA Securities allowing them to manage the district’s cash flow and investments.
The board then approved the recommended tax levy as presented in the public hearing, of $1,879,151.74, representing a 4.56 percent increase of the prior year’s levy.
Finally the board approved sharing their support to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.