Southland Public SchoolsPublic Meetings

Operating Levy Information

October 13, 2015-6:30 PM-Rose Creek Elementary School October 19, 2015-6:30 PM-Adams MS/HS

October 21, 2015- 7:00PM – Dexter Fire Hall

Jeff Sampson, Superintendent of Schools

Southland Public Schools is Asking District Voters to Revoke Our Current Operating Levy and Replace With a

New Operating Levy

• The Southland School District is running an “excess levy referendum” this fall. If district voters vote to pass this referendum, they will be electing to revoke the current $387.44 per pupil levy and replace it with a $1,550 per pupil levy.

• This is NOT a bond referendum.• Revoke and Replace language meaning

What is an Operating Levy Referendum?

• It is an election question, voted on by residents to authorize a school district to assess an additional tax levy to generate additional revenues to support the operations and programs of the school district.

• The authorization for this additional tax revenue must be approved by local voters.

• Revenue is provided through a combination of local property tax levies and for some districts, state aid.

Referendum Trends in Minnesota• Districts are relying more heavily each year on operating

referendum revenue to fund basic educational programs.

• The number of Districts that have an operating referendum in place is increasing annually.

• Close to 90% of Minnesota School Districts receive operating referendum revenue.

• Underfunding by the state has been the main factor in districts asking for excess levies– Southland has also had a large enrollment decrease over the

past 8 years

Southland’s Current Status

• We cut $470,000 out of our budget last year• We have $1.1 million in our general fund or

savings• We are currently deficit spending $270,000• If the vote passes, we will not get new money

until January of 2017. Our general fund balance will be near $500,000 at that point and we will need that as cash flow to run the school’s business operations.

The Impact on Your Taxes• Passing the levy will increase your

taxes. For an operating levy, there are no referendum taxes on seasonal recreational property and on agricultural land the taxes only apply to the house, garage, and one acre of land.

• The table to the right illustrates the tax

impact for typical residential homesteads, apartments, commercial-industrial properties, and most other classes of property within the School District. If the levy is passed, the referendum market value for Agriculture Land other than the house and one acre and for seasonal recreational property is $0.

Type of PropertyEstimated Market

Value

Estimated Taxes for Referendum Levy Only

Revoked Authority

Proposed Authority

Net Change

$387.44 $1,550.00Tax Increase

ResidentialHomesteads,

Apartments, and Commercial-

Industrial Property

$100,000 -$47 $309 $262125,000 -58 386 328150,000 -70 464 394175,000 -81 541 460200,000 -93 618 525225,000 -105 695 590250,000 -116 773 657300,000 -140 927 787350,000 -163 1,082 919400,000 -186 1,236 1,050450,000 -209 1,391 1,182500,000 -233 1,545 1,312600,000 -279 1,855 1,576700,000 -326 2,164 1,838800,000 -372 2,473 2,101900,000 -419 2,782 2,363

1,000,000 -465 3,091 2,6261,250,000 -581 3,864 3,2831,500,000 -698 4,636 3,9382,000,000 -930 6,182 5,252

Impact on School District’s Budget

• If the referendum is not passed, we will need to reduce expenditures. This will impact people, programs, and facilities.

• If the referendum is passed, we will be able to keep current programming in place for the foreseeable future.

Voting

• The election will be held on November 3, 2015 from 7am until 8pm

• The only polling place will be in Adams at the MS/HS gym.

• For more information on the election check our website at: www.isd500.k12.mn.us

• Absentee ballots can be obtained by calling the Mower County Government center at 507-437-9535. Absentee ballots applications and voter registration applications can be obtained in the district office and in the Rose Creek office.

BallotSCHOOL DISTRICT QUESTION BALLOT

INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 500 (SOUTHLAND), MINNESOTA

SPECIAL ELECTION

November 3, 2015

______________________________________________________________________________

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS

To vote, completely fill in the oval(s) next to your choice(s) like this: To vote for a question, fill in the oval next to the word "Yes" for that question. To vote against a question, fill in the oval next to the word "No" for that question.

SCHOOL DISTRICT BALLOT QUESTION REVOKING AN EXISTING REFERENDUM REVENUE AUTHORIZATION;

APPROVING NEW AUTHORIZATION

The board of Independent School District No. 500 (Southland), Minnesota has proposed to revoke the School District’s existing referendum revenue authorization of $387.44 per pupil and to replace that authorization with a new authorization of $1,550 per pupil, subject to an annual increase at the rate of inflation. The proposed referendum revenue authorization would be applicable for ten (10) years unless otherwise revoked or reduced as provided by law.

YES NO

Shall the existing referendum revenue authorization be revoked and the new authorization proposed by the board of Independent School District No. 500 (Southland), Minnesota be approved?

BY VOTING “YES” ON THIS BALLOT QUESTION, YOU ARE VOTING FOR A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.

Questions

• Jeff Sampson, Superintendent of Schools• 507-582-3283• jsampson@isd500.k12.mn.us• www.isd500.k12.mn.us

Thank you for coming to tonight’s presentation.

Thank you for supporting our students.