This report examines the change in per pupil operatingrevenue, levy, and aid for each Minnesota schooldistrict and the statewide total during the period fromFY 2003 to FY 2013 based on information from theMinnesota Department of Education (MDE). Data forFY 2011 are preliminary, while data for FY 2012 and2013 are projected based on current law. Revenue,levy, and aid amounts in this report are presented inconstant FY 2011 dollars per pupil.
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• A table with summary information on per pupilrevenue, levy, and state aid for all Minnesota schooldistricts for FY 2003 (the rst year of the statetakeover of general education funding), FY 2011(the current scal year), and FY 2013 (the last yearfor which MDE projections are available). This tablealso shows the change in per pupil revenue, levy,and aid from FY 2003 to FY 2011 and the projectedchange from FY 2003 to FY 2013.• A statewide graph showing the change since FY 2003 in per pupil revenue, levy, and aid for eachyear from FY 2004 to FY 2013.• Graphs for each Minnesota school district showingthe change since FY 2003 in per pupil revenue, levy,and aid for each year from FY 2004 to FY 2013.• Sources and technical notes describing the dataused in this report (see page 2).From FY 2003 to FY 2011, total state operating aid toMinnesota public schools fell from $9,520 to $8,118 (a14.7 percent drop) and is projected to decline to $8,037by FY 2013. The decline in state aid is accompanied byan increase in school property taxes; per pupil schooloperating levies increased from $663 in FY 2003 to$1,563 by FY 2011 (a 135.8 percent increase), with aslight additional increase of $3 per pupil projected byFY 2013. (MDE projections of school levies for FY 2012and 2013 are speculative.)Because school property tax increases have not beensufcient to keep pace with state aid reductions, totalschool operating revenue has declined. Per pupiloperating revenue fell from $10,183 in FY 2003 to$9,682 in FY 2011 (a 4.9 percent drop); a further dropto $9,604 is anticipated by FY 2013.From FY 2003 to FY 2011, 334 of Minnesota’s 337school districts experienced a decline in per pupilstate operating aid, while 331 districts experienced anincrease in per pupil operating levy. Over the sameperiod, 265 districts experienced a decline in total perpupil operating revenue (i.e., the sum of levy plus stateaid). Most school districts will experience additionalreductions in per pupil operating revenue over the nexttwo years based on MDE projections of current law asof the November 2010 forecast.
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Minnesota 2020 Fiscal Policy FellowJanuary 2011