By Anna Erickson
aerickson@parkrapidsenterprise.com
The Park Rapids Area School District approved a decrease to the 2014 payable 2015 levy that will save taxpayers about $250,000.
It is a decrease of 4.43 percent to the levy. Business manager Carol Hutchinson presented the revised budget and levy presentation at last week’s Truth in Taxation hearing.
The main reason for the decreased levy is bond refunding that took place this fall.
The bond resale resulted in a $2,475,960 debt reduction for the district over the life of the bonds. This calculates to over $200,000 a year.
A summary of the total levy indicates the total 2015-16 levy is $4,799,147.
Broken down, this is $2,749,634 (57.29 percent) toward debt service and $2,049,513 (42.71 percent) toward all other levies.
In 2014, the levy was $5,021,545 and in 2013 it was $5,346,336 compared to 2015’s $4,799,147.
“Carol is running a very balanced budget,” said Superintendent Lance Bagstad.
He indicated that while Park Rapids’ levy is going down, surrounding districts have levies that are increasing.
“We are holding our own compared to our neighbors,” Bagstad said.
The district is also holding their own on enrollment, he said.
Enrollment for grades k-12 was 1,484 at the beginning of the school year and is now at 1,478.
“We’re checking those numbers daily because our budgets are figured out based on enrollment,” he said. “We need to make sure we keep these numbers.”
In other business, the board:
n Approved several second readings of policies that are being updated to make sure the language is current.
n Approved increasing Kim Schwartz to full time. She is the district’s MARS coordinator and works with the Alternative Learning Center.
n Approved the extra-curricular hire of Cody Schirmers as Assistant Boys Hockey Coach.
