Cliff Buchan
News Editor

Old law and new law can mean two different numbers when it comes to the actual amount of new revenue ISD 831 will receive over the current two-year funding cycle.

School officials went on the defensive here last week, strongly reacting to a legislative report to residents of the area released by Rep. Ray Vandeveer, R-Forest Lake.

That report, quoting the Minnesota Department of Revenue, indicates Forest Lakeís new revenue for the two years to be just under $6 million. Thatís a far cry from the actual new revenue ISD 831 received following the 2005 House-Senate-Governor budget compromise.

Superintendent of Schools Lynn Steenblock and Larry Martini, director of business affairs, told the school board Aug. 3 the discrepancy is a result of calculations of new revenue based on old law versus new law adopted in 2005.

ìItís just a matter of context,î Steenblock said. He said the Vandeveer report makes it appear the district is ìrolling in doughî when it really isnít.

Martiniís report last week showed that without the new funding approved in 2005, ISD 831 would have lost more than $400,000 in state aid because of changes in funding.

Steenblock said the danger of the report is it will send a false message to voters who will be asked to help the district renew its existing $6 million in levy this November. Some could be confused, he said.

ìThey (citizens) are realizing that $6 million will go away,î Steenblock said.

ìWe need to get this information out to the public.î

Martini said reporting is key. ìIt comes down to how best to report this,î he said.

More reaction

Steenblock said last week he had met with Vandeveer and the lawmaker agreed in concept that a better format was needed to explain the reporting.

In an interview last week, Vandeveer endorsed the process, saying the change in new revenue from the old law 2005 base to the second year of the funding cycle presents accurate information.

He also said he did not believe it would hurt the districtís attempt to win voter approval of the levy renewal this fall. He added that he was supporting the $6.5 million levy renewal proposal, one of two questions on the ballot.

But the reporting style did not sit well with board Rob Rapheal who is running for the House seat that Vandeveer is giving up to run for State Senate.

ìI have never seen the numbers come out like this,î Rapheal said. He labeled the report ìtroublingî and said it made the schoolís job more difficult.

The board member joined other school officials in reminding Vandeveer and the public that the compromise funding bill of 2005 came after two years of new increase in state aid.

Rapheal said he was also troubled that Vandeveer was one of a handful of House members who rejected the 4 percent compromise bill, favoring the 2 percent increase instead.

ìI really have a hard time with it,î Rapheal said.

Steenblock said it was his understanding that Vandeveer planned to release some form of letter to the district explaining the funding and how the process was reported.

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