School board 2026 levy lower than 2025

At the Dec. 18 regular business meeting, members of the Waseca school board approved a total 2026 property tax levy about $110,000 lower than in 2025: $5,340,139. District business manager Sarah Brandt explained during a legally required “truth in taxation” summary that local property tax levies are limited by statutorily defined formulas that are driven by pupil counts, population, voter authorization, specific eligible expenditure types and districtwide property valuations. The Waseca school district is one of 91 Minnesota districts that does not have an operating referendum above and beyond the local optional revenue for taxes payable 2025. 

 

As part of her summary, Brandt showed a comparison of school-related taxes imposed on a home with an estimated market value of $250,000 in surrounding communities. Waseca’s levy fell between JWP’s and WEM’s. NRHEG and Blue Earth ranked lower, while Medford, Albert Lea, Owatonna, and St. Peter were higher. Brandt said the majority of the district’s funding comes from the state at 80.5%, and federal revenue is 3.3%. 

 

Also during the meeting, the board learned the annually required audit of the 2024-’25 school year yielded positive results. A report was presented by Clifton Larson Allen representative Craig Popenhagen; there were no statutory findings, and he stated internal processes seem to be working smoothly as designed. As it’s said in the trade, the audit was “clean.”

 

The board’s 2026 organizational meeting will be on Jan. 8; the next regular business meeting will be Jan. 22.