By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
From the 9/22/2025 School Board Packet
The Northfield School Board on Monday approved the preliminary tax levy for the school district, which is a 0.98% decrease from last year. To a home valued at $350,000 they would see a reduction in school district taxes of $109 a year. School District Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf stated that the decrease is largely driven by declining student enrollment and a smaller-than-expected debt cost:
“Debt service is decreasing again, that seems counterintuitive because we just passed the bond, but it’s actually that we’re required by law to Levy that 105%. And 5% builds up as we pay our debt, and the state does a calculation to take our average 3-year fund balance and when it gets to a certain point, they’ll reduce that funds.” – Val Mertesdorf, Northfield Schools Director of Finance at the 9/22/2025 School Board Meeting
Listen to the News:
Unlike the City Government, School Districts received the vast majority of their funding from the State of Minnesota based on the number of students enrolled. In the case of Northfield, local property taxes account for 26% of the district’s general fund. Furthermore, school districts must have their tax levies approved by the state or through a voter referendum, and the approved funds must be allocated to that specific item.
From the 9/22/2025 School Board Packet
“All of our levies are state-authorized levies or voter-approved. It is extremely regulated, and so we can’t decide that we’re going to be in a tough budget situation and increase the levy just to help us. It all has to be either voter-approved or through a formula through the Department of Education.” – Northfield Public Schools Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf at the 12/9/2024 School Board Meeting
Of the $27 million collected in property taxes, $17 million is allocated to the general fund, $8.9 million is allocated to debt from building projects, and $655,000 is allocated to Community Education.
The last school district tax levy increased by 26%, entirely driven by the High School renovations. Over 5 years, Mertesdorf states the average levy increase has been about 5%
Mertesdorf thanked the community, citing the positive impact that a higher levy has on schools:
“73% of our total Levy is voter-approved, which is pretty incredible when you think about a $27 million overall levy.” – Val Mertesdorf, Northfield Schools Director of Finance at the 9/22/2025 School Board Meeting
The School District will approve the final tax levy in December. The School District’s budget is a separate item and linked to the academic year, approved in May and June.
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