The Northfield School Board on Monday unanimously certified the district's 2011 tax levy unanimously

The $14.3 million levy is down about 2 percent from the 2010 levy. No one from the public addressed the school board about the change.

No mention was made of cuts in state aid that may result from Minnesota's projected $6 billion budget shortfall, but school officials have previously said that they are trying to project how the district might be affected. State aid currently makes up 58 percent, or about $27.6 million, of the total $47.6 million for the 2010-2011 school year.

The percentage of state aid the district receives has decreased the past few years.

For the 2009-10 school year, the district received 66 percent of its funding from state month, 9.9 percent from federal money, 20.8 percent from local taxes and 3.3 percent from other resources.

The year before, 74 percent of dollars came from state aid, 2.9 percent came from the federal government, 19.3 percent from the local levy and 3.3 percent from other resources.

According to district Director of Business Services Stephanie Shawback, levied funds will be shifted as follows:

• a $78,000 increase in the general operating fund
• a $6,000 increase in community service
• a $368,000 decrease in facility debt service

A year ago, the school board increased the levy 1.66 percent to $14.6 million.

In his audit report to the school board last month, Larson Allen representative Mike Ward said the district has made great strides the past several years. Six years ago, the district had a $3.1 million deficit, but now is in the positive. At the beginning of this school year, the district's fund balance was at $10.8 million.

"It looks like you run a tight ship," Ward said.

In other business

The school board heard site improvement plan reports for Northfield High School, the Area Learning Center and Northfield Middle School.

Reducing bullying—a topic that's grabbed national headlines of late —is one goal identified by the site improvement committee at the high school.

Health and physical education teacher Katie Sand said that 75 percent of students said that bullying is not a problem at the school, yet 72 percent of students reported witnessing it.

Principal Joel Leer said that since instituting Ninth Grade Academy, a program to help lower-performing freshmen, there has been a 10-percent decrease in the number of freshmen failing a class, down to 14 percent.

Area Learning Center Director Patricia Parlin explained how new attendance and grading processes have contributed to improved attendance. She said that more than 40 percent of ALC students improved their attendance by 25 percent or more; this fell short of their goal that 75 of students would show this degree of improvement.

Jeff Pesta, middle school principal, reported that 59 percent of NMS students reached proficiency in science, compared to 48 percent statewide, in the Minensota Comprehensive Assessment—Series II tests. This was an increase of 11 percent, compared to a 3-percent increase statewide.

The school board voted to approve these and four site improvement plans presented previously.