School levy certified

Taxpayers in the Brainerd School District will not see any changes in their final tax statements payable 2003 in the school portion.

The Brainerd School Board certified the final 2003 school levy Monday, leaving it the same as the proposed levy it approved in September.

The 2003 school levy was certified at an estimated $8.65 million or about a $2 million increase from this year. The reason for the increase is primarily results from the debt service on the building referendum that passed last spring. The debt service levy in 2002 was $1.97 million and will be $5.38 million next year.

The levy increase also includes funds for the operating referendum approved by voters in November of 2001. The school district will levy $146 per pupil unit in 2003.

The general fund levy for 2003 is an estimated $3.83 million and the community education levy is an estimated $575,946.

The school board also approved the 2001-02 audit. As of June 30, the school district had $56,495,121 in revenues or an estimated $1.9 million more than in 2001. Expenditures were at $56,432,381 or $518,793 more than in 2001.

This leaves the school district with a general fund balance of $9,341,306, including reserves and unreserved balances.

Larson Allen Weishair and Co. conducted the audit.