Jordan Independent - Operating referendum - Comments

Whether one agrees with

dhelke — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 10:03:21 -0600

Whether one agrees with using property tax dollars to fund schools or not, that is the option the Minnesota Legislature has provided to schools. Our school district is being very reasonable in its request. If approved, Jordan would have one of the lowest operating levies in the surrounding area. District leaders are being accountable to all of us by requesting approval of a levy this Tuesday that balances the needs of our schools with the needs of all of us as property owners. I respect the financial decisions being made by our school board and I want quality schools for my kids and I plan to VOTE YES on November 7th.

This all sounds nice, but

sanderson — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:43:37 -0600

This all sounds nice, but hardly factual. Below are my tax dollar amounts that have gone to the school district, since 2001.

2001: $835
2002: $418
2003: $534
2004: $501
2005: $532
2006: $612

From 2001 to 2002, there was a decrease because of Governor Ventura's rearrangement of funding. Other that this, there is pretty much an upward trend. If these numbers are being cut in half over time with the addition of new homes, I certainly do not see it!

For the most part, I am happy with the schools - but let's be honest, we all have to live within our means in order to provide for our families and raise our children. This is not the job of the schools anyhow!

I would also add that since 2002, my property taxes have increased 50%! I believe everyone is in a similar situation. This is a great deal if I want to cash out and move to Florida, as the increase is based on skyrocketing out of control property values. However, relocating is not my current plan. Residents need a more manageable tax plan, and governments should be living within our means!

If the referrendum fails, the schools can blame the tax and property valuation strategists, not the residents.

Steve Anderson

But doesn't the argument

Mathias Baden — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 21:12:26 -0600

But doesn't the argument about taxes received from a growing population hold some credence, since the population estimates are based on a growing number of homes?

The tax base grows with the bigger housing developments, right? Having more children is a good financial thing for the school district, isn't it?

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

Recent editorials have

dhelke — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 20:31:12 -0600

Recent editorials have suggested that the school district literally rakes in money with an increasing tax base and increasing property valuations. The school district does not get additional money for every additional property built and it does not get additional money everytime the valuation on property increases.

If the school district gets approval to levy $425 per pupil then that is the amount of money the distict gets. The amount of property tax paid by a property owner is affected by the size of the tax base and the valuation of the property, but the total amout of money the district receives from property taxes does not change.

I would propose that we actually benefit as the tax base increases because the portion each individual property owner is responsible for lessens. Simply put, if you need to raise $1000 and there are two people you can get the money from then each person pays $500. Now, if there were four people you can get the money from then each person pays $250. The total amount of money has not changed, only the amount each payer is responsible for.

Great things are happening in District 717! Our family, especially our kids, have had great experiences with the Jordan school district. They are excited about school and they love sharing what they learn and do. I, and the many others, who have been promoting this referendum these past weeks have done so because we see the great things happening in the district for our kids and the community. Join us and show support for a school district doing great things by getting out and voting YES on Tuesday, November 7th.

Thanks for the correction,

Brandon — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:38:12 -0500

Thanks for the correction, Nancy. I made the change. Election day is, in fact, Tuesday, Nov. 7. and not Wednesday, Nov. 8.

Even though the editor of

Mathias Baden — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 11:21:06 -0500

Even though the editor of the Savage Pacer is trying to woo away on of the very good contributors to this Web site, I thought it'd be prudent to post the Web address for the Pacer, which is a sister paper of ours.

www.savagepacer.com

The interface is the same for all of the papers printed by Southwest Newspapers.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

Two comments. 1. Isn't

Nancy Huddleston — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:53:24 -0500

Two comments.

1. Isn't Election Day Tuesday, Nov. 7. The forum topic says Nov. 8.

2. Nice to see Eagle Ridge Principal Dave Helke participating in this discussion. You know, Dave, the Savage Pacer has this kind of web site, too, and the school district you work for (Burnsville-Eagan-Savage) has a levy referendum on the ballot too. How about tossing some of your comments Savage's way now and again?

As a Jordan Resident without

JasonJedlicka — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 19:02:40 -0500

As a Jordan Resident without children in the school system, it is tempting to vote "NO" for the referendum so I dont have to pay an extra $150 or so more in taxes each year for something "I dont use". However, I also understand the value a good school system provides to the quality of life in a community like Jordan.

The real issue is: Are we as taxpayers getting our tax dollars worth? I think that is really what is important to me. I dont mind the higher taxes if the funds are used wisely and in ways that help the students get a better education. That is the purpose of the schools. It is just REALLY hard to fully know if that is the case.
It seems like I never hear about the school's finances or the academic level the students are acheiving except for in a time when money is needed. Maybe I am not looking for it otherwise.

In the end, I will have to trust the judgement and the prudence of those who will ultimately decide how to use the funds and hope that they are wise with our money.

Brandon Otte is working on a

Mathias Baden — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:34:10 -0500

Brandon Otte is working on a story and statistics to go in the print edition of the paper. For a good look at the referendum, read the Jordan Independent.

The above posts on this Web site are also very informative. Make an educated vote.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

Referendum 2006 citizen's

dhelke — Mon, 23 Oct 2006 22:26:41 -0500

Referendum 2006 citizen's campaign increasing awareness of the levy referendum vote for our schools on November 7th.

Currently, 88% of school districts in Minnesota have a levy referendum in place to provide revenue for operating the school district. That is 302 out of the 343 school districts in the state. The average per pupil amount for these referendums is $650. Whether you agree with the idea of funding schools with local property tax dollars or not, it is the statutory funding source made available to school districts by the Minnesota Legislature.

You may have seen the Vote Yes for Schools signs out in the community or received a Vote Yes pamphlet at your residence. Our schools need our support! We want you to be aware of the levy referendum on the ballot! We want you to know your support is needed on November 7th!

Be informed about levy

dhelke — Thu, 19 Oct 2006 13:55:21 -0500

Be informed about levy referendum!

We received the information on the referendum in the mail today. Hopefully the information is very helpful to all residents in the school district.

The school district is also having a public meeting this coming Monday, October 23rd at 7:30 PM in the Jordan High School Lecture room on the proposed levy referendum. If you need more information or have questions definitely take advantage of this opportunity.

If you are unable to attend this meeting, you can call Larry Kauzlarich, Superintendent of Jordan School District, at 952-492-6200.

Another way to get additional information is to contact the KIDSFIRST Referendum 2006 committee at kidsfirst@mn.rr.com or 952-492-6653.

Finally, this forum on the JI website is another useful way to ask questions, seek information, and participate in a discussion of the proposed levy referendum.

I encourage everyone to take the time to understand the proposed levy referendum and the needs of our school district.

Understood. I just wanted to

Mathias Baden — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:20:15 -0500

Understood. I just wanted to clarify, too.

Of the school boards I've read about while I've worked or freelanced in Mankato, Cottage Grove, Prior Lake, Savage, and elsewhere, I've been most impressed with Jordan district's view on finances. It sure seems like you've done a lot about keeping propery taxes down. I know my company appreciates that, and I'm sure residents also do.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

Mathias, I wasn't upset with

Larry Kauzlarich — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 13:06:20 -0500

Mathias, I wasn't upset with your comment regarding whether or not a board would actually not levy the full amount. Your comment was understandable. I was just replying to it, that, in fact, our board has done that in the past.

If I wasn't clear in my

Mathias Baden — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:47:03 -0500

If I wasn't clear in my earlier comment, I apologize. I did not mean to suggest that a school board would never levy less than the full amount of referendum money available. In fact, I suspected that Jordan would be one of the examples that would come up.

(Mathias Baden is the editor of the Jordan Independent. He can be reached at editor@jordannews.com.)

The comments on the

Larry Kauzlarich — Wed, 18 Oct 2006 09:32:43 -0500

The comments on the referendum have been interesting. Dave Helke has done a good job of answering several questions. One question or comment I'd like to respond to is the question of the board having the ability to NOT levy the full amount yearly if not needed. It was suggested this would probably never happen. In fact, the board has done this in the past. The district has also lowered fees in times when the fund balance was in good shape. In 1995 the fee for participation in sports at the HS level was $60. It was dropped to $30 around 1998. It was just moved back to $60 in 05-06. Even at $60 the fee is the lowest in the area.
The district also did all of its technology wiring of the buildings out of the general fund. Some other districts ran technology referendums for this.
The Jordan district has been very sensitive to the taxpayers as it has tried to provide educational programs for the students of our district. Our philosophy for the past decade has been to provide the best programs in the most economical ways.
The fact the district has had a fund balance for the past decade has benefited all of us. Other districts have had to come to their public with referendum requests much earlier than our district.
Information on the referendum request is being sent out on October 19th. Please review this and compare the amount of the Jordan request to the already exisiting referendums in our neighboring schools. I think this will show the district is sensitive to the taxpayers of our district.

Operating referendum

Brandon — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 11:24:51 -0500

The Jordan School Board has voted to include a $425-per-pupil-unit general operating referendum on the Nov. 7 ballot. What do you think about the proposed referendum? What questions do you have?