08-02-2025
Tax levy to drop for ACGC
Tax relief is on the horizon for Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City property owners.
At its Dec. 16 meeting, the ACGC School Board dropped its levy by about 4 percent. The levy payable in 2014 will be $2.36 million, down from this year's levy of $2.46 million. Most of this amount, $1.26 million, was approved for the district's general fund, with $173,165 designated for community service and $933,063 for debt service.
Business Manager Dan Tait credited several factors for the levy decrease: deferred spending on a public safety project and overall reductions in spending over the past few years as the district has adjusted to a lower student population. Recent legislative action, including more timely school aid, is another factor. The district's total budget is approximately $8.5 million, with most of the revenue coming not from the levy, but from various state aids.
Because the board was not increasing its levy, no Truth in Taxation public hearing was necessary this year.
While a 4 percent levy reduction will translate into modest cuts in school property taxes, Superintendent Sherri Broderius and Tait said that greater relief appears to be in the district's future, once the bonds on the junior-senior high school building get paid off in 2016.
The board also adopted a list of 2013-2014 goals, following discussion Monday evening and at an earlier planning workshop in late October. Major goals for the district include:
* Updating communications, including a new website.
* Developing a plan to renew the current operating levy in 2015, with a vote during the general election in November 2014.
* Continued improvement in students' math and reading scores.
* Developing five business classes for 2014-2015.
* Maintaining rental income to cover operating costs at the Cosmos building, while continuing to seek to sell the building.
Board Vice Chair Mike Hendrickson announced two recent commendations for the district:
* Special Education teachers were recognized by the Southwest/West Central Cooperative for their compliance with Individual Education Plan standards, following a recent audit.
* School Board Member Judy Raske is slated to receive a President's Award from the Minnesota School Boards Association on Jan. 16, in recognition of more than 300 hours of attendance at MSBA activities.
Broderius and Raske reported that, although negotiations are progressing on the 2013-2014 teachers' contract, resolution is not expected before the first of the year.
The annual reorganizational meeting for the ACGC board is scheduled for 7 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 9.
