The Mankato School Board votes to increase its tax levy by 2%, but because of an increase in population, not much of an increase in property taxes is expected.
The Board approved the $17.8 million levy, and despite the increase, it is expected to have little impact on property tax bills, somewhere in the single digits, depending on the property.
Earlier in the day, sitting down with Representatives Terry Morrow and Kathy Brynaert, and with Senator Kathy Sheran joining the conversation by phone, Mankato Schools' legislative committee gave their recommendations for programs to be added to the state's budget, which currently sits at an $876 million surplus.
Along catching up with a spending schedule, which withheld 40% of funding this past year, Mankato wants the state to think about funding all–day kindergarten.
Mankato Area Schools Superintendent Sheri Allen says, "We fund all–day kindergarten here. And I remember last year from our legislative session, the comment about, 'Do you have some data that we can take with us?' So Cindy Amoroso will go through that with you."
Cindy Amoroso says, "In 2006, after half–day kindergarten, 73% of our students were at benchmark on this nationally known assessment. In the spring of 2007, only one year into all–day kindergarten, our first year of full–day kindergarten had upped that percentage to 86."
The committee also wants additional special education, early childhood education funding, and a change to the rules that would allow the school year to begin after Labor Day.
