Lancaster School trims budget and lowers tax levy for 2023

By Anna Jauhola
Lancaster School District whittled its final levy down to lessen its operating deficit for the school year. During its regular meeting, the Lancaster School Board held its truth in taxation hearing and approved its final 2022-23 budget and 2023 tax levy. No one from the public attended the hearing.
In September, the district set a preliminary levy of $890,793.77, the maximum they could levy for taxes in 2023.
“We consulted EHLERs to see what we can change or do different,” said Superintendent Nicole Thompson. “They assisted us in reducing our final levy.”
Thompson said she and Business Manager Mendy Coffield worked hard with EHLERs to reduce the levy by $22,476. If the board certified the preliminary levy, it would have been a 21.29 percent increase over the 2022 levy. Instead, the levy will be $868,317.18, an increase of 18.23 percent over 2022.
“That’s the furthest we could move down without hurting our aid that we currently receive,” Thompson said.
The changes in Lancaster’s tax levy numbers for the district are attributed to changes in property valuations, increased enrollment (by 10 students), an inflation clause in the district’s referendum, legislative changes and adjustments from prior years.

Read the full story in the Dec. 28, 2022, edition of the Kittson County Enterprise.