MARSHALL — The Marshall Public School District is looking at an overall decrease in its levy in 2024, district staff said this week. While individual property taxes will vary, the total 2024 proposed levy would go down by about $38,000, or 0.48%, from 2023, said Dion Caron, director of business services at MPS.

MPS held a “Truth In Taxation” presentation during its regular meeting on Monday. Caron went over the school district’s budget and proposed property tax levy.

Some of the reasons for the overall levy decrease had to do with the breakdown of changes for the school district’s general fund, community service and debt service levies, Caron said. The general fund levy at MPS is proposed to increase by more than $442,000, or 11.54%, in 2024. But at the same time, the community service levy and debt service levy were both proposed to go down. All together, the changes worked out to a decrease of 0.48%.

The total proposed school levy for 2024 was about $7.88 million, Caron said.

Caron also compared the school district’s actual budget for the 2022-23 school year, with the original budget for the 2023-24 school year.

“We are currently working on our revised budget” for 2023-24, he said.

For 2023-24, the district’s general fund revenue was up 6.54%, due to increases in the state’s general education funding, and increases in enrollment, Caron said.

General fund expenditures increased 3.43%, which was “right in line” with past expenditure increases, he said. Almost half of the district’s general fund expenditures – about $17.9 million – go toward regular instruction of students, Caron said. An additional 19.07% goes toward special education, and 2.07% goes toward vocational instruction.

About 10%, or $3.68 million, of general fund expenditures goes toward supporting school sites and buildings, Caron said.

In the 2023 fiscal year, MPS had actual revenues of $51.81 million, and actual expenditures of $52.6 million. The budget for fiscal year 2024 includes $49.86 in revenues and $49.38 in expenditures.

Public schools across Minnesota continue to face funding challenges, Caron said. Last year, the Minnesota Legislature approved a 2% increase in its general education funding formula. A 4% increase has also been approved for the 2023-24 fiscal year.

“We appreciate the increase, and it’s a great start,” Caron said. However, Minnesota’s general education funding has not kept pace with inflation since 2002. The amount of funding the school district receives per pupil would need to increase another 17.9% in order to keep up with inflation for 2024, he said.