ENG 2024-25 Family Update No. 6
Sept. 27, 2024
Dear Northfield School District Families:
Similar to other governmental agencies like cities and counties, the school board approved its preliminary 2025 tax levy on Monday night. Here is what you need to know:
The district’s annual tax levy includes parts that are state-authorized or voter-approved.
The board approved the preliminary levy at the maximum amount.
The latest estimate showed that the 2025 tax levy's “maximum amount” would be approximately a 0.50% decrease.
This marks the third time in the last six years that the district's preliminary tax levy has decreased compared to the previous year.
The district’s average tax levy has increased by 1.49% per year over the last six years.
For a $350,000 homeowner, this means school taxes would go down by approximately 5% if the home’s valuation remained the same in 2025 as it was in 2024.
The board will approve the 2025 levy at the Dec. 9 meeting.
You can watch Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf’s presentation about the preliminary here.
This type of fiscal responsibility is also exemplified by the district’s management of its last two bond referendum projects:
In 2018, voters approved $41 million to address facility needs at the district’s elementary schools. Because of the district’s AA+ bond rating and a great bid day, the district only bonded for $39 million. The projects were completed as scheduled with approximately 60% of the build time during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The district is retiring the Northfield Middle School debt this year. Because of diligent attention to the markets, Ehler’s, Inc. estimates that taxpayers paid $4 million less in interest than initially projected.
The Northfield School District is serious about its strategic commitment to stewardship. As always, please contact me with any feedback about the district.
Sincerely,
Matt
--
Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.
Superintendent
mhillmann@northfieldschools.org | 507-663-0629
A high school tour is one of the best ways to personally see the facility problems the bond referendum aims to address. We look forward to hosting you on a tour!
Next NHS Tours:
- Monday, Oct. 7, 6 pm - 8 pm
- Tuesday, Oct. 15, 4 pm - 6 pm
Enter at Door No. 10 and meet in the media center.
There are also two scheduled public Q&A sessions scheduled:
- Tuesday, Oct. 8, 7 pm - 8:15 pm
- Tuesday, Oct. 22, 7 pm - 8:15 pm
- The sessions will be held in the NHS auditorium.
You can learn more about the district’s approach to safety, the required drills, the tools we use to execute the drills, and our work to prevent violence here.
