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Increasing Education Funding and Property Tax Relief for Minnesota Students

Advocate for increased education funding and equalization to provide opportunities for all students while relieving the burden of high property taxes. Take action today and make equal education a priority in the 2013 Legislative Session.

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Increasing Education Funding and Property Tax Relief for Minnesota Students

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  1. = + INCREASED EQUALIZATIONEnhanced Opportunities for StudentsProperty Tax Relief

  2. Education Funding IS a State Constitutional Mandate The stability of a republican form of government depends mainly upon the intelligence of the people, it is the duty of the legislature to establish a general and uniform system of public schools. The legislature shall make such provisions by taxation or otherwise as will secure a thorough and efficient system of public schools throughout the state. Minnesota Constitution Article XIII, Section 1

  3. 76% of our revenue comes from the state The Problem … • State funding has not kept pace with increasing costs and annual inflation • More than 90% of school districts rely on school levies to maintain basic educational opportunities. • This equates to higher local property taxes • Local school levies are not equal • Taxpayers pay more or less for the same school levy dollars depending on where they are located

  4. The Basic Formula Has Not Kept Up With Inflation The basic formula provides the majority of the funding that districts receive from the state

  5. Source: MN2020

  6. Districts rely on voter-approved school levies • School levy revenue is primarily generated by local property taxes • The Legislature caps local levies at $1,633 per pupil • The cost to the taxpayer “per levy dollar” is based on the individual property wealth of each district, which varies greatly across the state • Significant commercial and industrial development lowers the overall taxpayer cost for a school levy for all property owners in a school district • Our district is a low-property wealth district, which means we pay more than our neighbors in property-rich districts but receive less school levy revenue

  7. Staying Competitive- Where Are You located? Annual taxes for local business and home owners for a $1,633 per pupil school levy per $100,000 assessed property value: Source: Minnesota Department of Education

  8. Equalization is for Students and Taxpayers • The intent of equalization was to make the cost of a school levy dollar uniform across the state. This ensures that local business and home owners in a property poor district do not pay significantly more in property taxes to generate the same amount of levy revenue for the local schools • It's a "match" of state aid to provide tax relief for citizens in low property wealth districts • Calculation of the state aid/local levy split: • The equalization factor has not been adjusted since 1993. District’s referendum market value per student % Levy = $476,000 (equalizing factor)

  9. The Erosion of EqualizationLaCrescent-Hokah Public Schools Source: Schools for Equity in Education

  10. What can you do? • Email or call your legislators • Make equalization a priority during the 2013 Legislative Session • Receive SEE’s electronic legislative updates and alerts • Sign up online, www.schoolsforequity.org • For more information, go to www.schoolsforequity.org All public school children must have equal access to a high quality education regardless of where they live in Minnesota!

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