Raider Update
May 28, 2023
Message from the Superintendent
Hello Raider Families,
I hope you are enjoying the Memorial Day weekend. We remember those who gave their lives in defense of our country and thank them for their service.
At this time of year we have two major points of focus: Getting to the end of the school year, especially for our graduating seniors, and finalizing a budget for the next school year. The end of the school year is much more fun to think about!
State legislature finalizes education bill
As of a few days ago, we finally started to see the implications of new legislation, both the good and the challenging. Yes, the legislature provided significant new revenue to schools. Yes, they also are forcing increased costs for school districts at the same time as inflation makes our budget not stretch as far. Here are just a few facts I want you to be aware of:
4%, 2% - that’s the state general fund increase for public schools for fiscal years 2024 and 2025
7%, 6.5% - that’s the increase in inflation for the last two years (CPI, US Bureau of Labor Statistics)
$1.7 million - that’s the additional funding Hastings Public Schools will receive for our Special Education program
$2.5 million - that’s the “cross-subsidy”, or the amount the Special Education program will require to be taken from the Hastings schools general fund next year
We don't yet know the full cost of the additional mandates that were passed, such as additional course requirements, non-exclusionary discipline for k-3, 20 weeks of Paid Family Medical Leave, etc.
We are extremely grateful to our legislators for any increases in revenue that we receive. Public schools in other states will not fare as well as we have. But, with inflation continuing to increase at a rate that is greater than revenues, and the additional mandates that were not funded, we must continue to find ways to stabilize our finances.
Legislative policy changes
A number of additional changes will impact public education, including a requirement to pay some employees unemployment benefits during the summer months, changes to the Public Employment Labor Relations Act, and many more. One change allows school boards to renew a voter approved operating levy for one additional 10-year term without voter approval. The School Board will take this up on June 14th. This is good – it puts us on somewhat equal footing with city, county, state and federal governments. But we still need voter approval to raise taxes, unlike other branches of government.
Considering local revenue options
With a board renewal of the expiring levy, the other option the board is considering is to seek approval for a technology/capital projects levy.
Ehlers Inc., our financial advisor, provided an update to the school board last Wednesday that provided details about the options for local revenue strategies that could help us stabilize our financial situation. You may remember from a previous note that we surveyed the community and learned that there is support for an increase in property taxes of approximately $135 per year on an average value home. We learned how much money that would raise for the district, and we learned what the tax increase would be for property owners of different home values. We also learned how Hastings school taxes compare to neighboring school districts. Compared to seven neighboring districts, Hastings has:
The third lowest total school taxes,
The third lowest operating levy revenue per student, and
The lowest total school taxes on agricultural land.
We will continue to make incremental progress in our strategy to provide the school board with valuable information on which it can make decisions to keep the district financially stable. A decision is planned for July.
Bob McDowell, Ed.D.
Superintendent
HHS Graduation
Visit the Hastings High School homepage for more information.
Friday, Jun 9, 2023, 07:00 PM
McNamara Stadium/Todd Field, 10th Street West, Hastings, MN, USA
Hastings Public Schools
- Kennedy Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7221
- McAuliffe Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7390
- Pinecrest Elementary (K-4) 651-480-7280
- Hastings Middle School (5-8) 651-480-7060
- Hastings High School (9-12) 651-480-7470
- Hastings Alternative Learning Center 651-480-7690
- Tilden Community Center 651-480-7670
*If you need any assistance in translating the Raider Update, contact us at kgorr@isd200.org.
Website: www.hastings.k12.mn.us
Location: 1000 11th Street West, Hastings, MN, USA
Phone: 651-480-7000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hastingspublicschools