MONROE - Business Administrator Ron Olson projected Monday the lowest school tax levy since 2006 for the Monroe school district in the coming year, unless voters pass the referendum in November.
The total levy is estimated at about $10.54 million, a 4.81-percent decrease from last year.
Olson presented the 2016-17 preliminary operating budget at a school board meeting Monday. Board members approved the early budget unanimously; Les Bieneman was absent.
The levy is based on an almost $28.5 million budget barely changed from June, when Olson last updated the board. He's planning for a $1.05 million deficit this year, up from $840,000 budgeted last year.
The board will vote on the final version of the budget and alternative tax levies at the annual meeting Oct. 17. Olson said he will prepare other levy amounts, which would be used if voters approve a higher property tax through either referendum question on Nov. 8. The referendum could add $1.5 million or $460,000 - or both - to the total levy.
Olson also reported that enrollment is slightly higher than expected at 2,385 students - though still nine fewer than last year's 2,394. It's good news in the long run for the district but might not be this year.
"In the spring we were looking at declining enrollment being really a greater source of our revenues there," Olson said, referring to an exemption meant to help schools facing declining enrollment. "So if we come in closer to that 2,385, which means we didn't decline quite as much as we thought in the spring, we may actually have a little less revenue limit than we thought in the spring. But it won't be a huge impact."
Under the preliminary budget, the school-related tax rate would be about $10.18 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which works out to a tax bill of $1,018 for the owner of a $100,000 house. That's $51 less than it was last year. The $10.18 tax rate would also be the lowest Monroe residents have paid for schools since 1998, Olson said.
Olson used last year's property valuations in the proposed budget.
The total levy is estimated at about $10.54 million, a 4.81-percent decrease from last year.
Olson presented the 2016-17 preliminary operating budget at a school board meeting Monday. Board members approved the early budget unanimously; Les Bieneman was absent.
The levy is based on an almost $28.5 million budget barely changed from June, when Olson last updated the board. He's planning for a $1.05 million deficit this year, up from $840,000 budgeted last year.
The board will vote on the final version of the budget and alternative tax levies at the annual meeting Oct. 17. Olson said he will prepare other levy amounts, which would be used if voters approve a higher property tax through either referendum question on Nov. 8. The referendum could add $1.5 million or $460,000 - or both - to the total levy.
Olson also reported that enrollment is slightly higher than expected at 2,385 students - though still nine fewer than last year's 2,394. It's good news in the long run for the district but might not be this year.
"In the spring we were looking at declining enrollment being really a greater source of our revenues there," Olson said, referring to an exemption meant to help schools facing declining enrollment. "So if we come in closer to that 2,385, which means we didn't decline quite as much as we thought in the spring, we may actually have a little less revenue limit than we thought in the spring. But it won't be a huge impact."
Under the preliminary budget, the school-related tax rate would be about $10.18 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which works out to a tax bill of $1,018 for the owner of a $100,000 house. That's $51 less than it was last year. The $10.18 tax rate would also be the lowest Monroe residents have paid for schools since 1998, Olson said.
Olson used last year's property valuations in the proposed budget.