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In 2006, the district levied $1.456 million in local property taxes; its levy for 2007, approved last week by the school board, is $1.575 million.

The school district is required to pass a preliminary levy by the end of September in order for the county auditor to know the levy to prepare preliminary property tax notices and must pass its final levy in December for inclusion on the 2007 property taxes.

The largest increase in the proposed levy is a new deferred maintenance levy ($59,843), which can be used for capital projects. The school district bonded for $440,000 last spring in order to do a roof replacement project this summer at both the elementary and secondary schools. It plans to repay those bonds by using this deferred maintenance levy.

Other proposed levy increases for 2007 are: excess levy (up $27,920); general fund (up $13,680); equity levy (up $12,285); debt service (up $4,018); and Community Education (up $883).

The district, once again, has levied the maximum amounts allowed by the state for 2007. The final levy differs only slightly from the proposed levy passed by the board in September: equity levy down $3,600 and general levy up $300.

The levy ($1.575 million) is the highest for the school district since 2001, when it levied $2.23 million. In 2002, the state assumed funding for much of local property tax levies by schools, and the local school district levy dropped to $0.96 million.

Paynesville passed a $415-per-pupil excess levy in April 2002, raising the district's property tax levy to $1.41 million in 2003.

In 2004, the levy declined to $1.26 million, in 2005 it increased slightly to $1.28 million, and in 2006 it increased to $1.46 million.