How much a school district levies is heavily reliant on state Department of Education calculations, and for the St. Paul Public Schools, the latest runs were not kind to taxpayers.
The district is considering a levy increase of up to 3.85 percent for 2016 taxes -- up from the projected 2.75 percent hike presented to school board members earlier this month.
On Tuesday, the board went with the 3.85 percent increase as the maximum it could raise when it takes final action on the district's tax-levy plan in December.
For the owner of a median-valued $151,500 home, the district's share of the property-tax bill would rise by about $42 -- if the property also increased in value by 4.5 percent, which was about the average such hike in St. Paul this year. That compares with a $32 tax increase if the board were to raise the levy by 2.75 percent.
District officials attributed much of the levy hike to factors such as increased pension obligations on the expenditure side and reduced state aid on the revenue side.
A public hearing on the district's levy plan is set for Dec. 1.
