---

The North Branch Viking Football Team stopped by the School Board meeting last week to thank the Board members for their support of  the athletics program specifically. Coach Voss gave a rousing pep talk and the Board sat for a photo and interacted enthusiastically with the players.

In the North Branch School District the large percentages of students and families who participated in “Welcome Days” was impressive and encouraging.

 According to Superintendent Sara Paul, who summarized for the school board last week the lead-up to the start of the year, the district admin team worked all summer on cultivating a culture of communication, coupled with strong response of partners  in emergencies.  Sessions offered before the chaos of school starting, called  Welcome Days, have boosted engagement and help create “a personalized start to the school year.”

Supt. Paul explained parents, guardians and pupils find comfort when routines are reinforced and expectations are clear.  The district also stresses: if you see something that seems off, say something. Let a principal or your child’s teacher know of your concern.  “Safety includes physical, emotional and relational awareness,” the Board was reminded, in the superintendent’s report. 

The district school sites will have  lessons in bus safety and e-bike safety on the horizon, based on concerns expressed to staff.   

A walk and roll to school day is being sponsored by the district with help from the county Statewide Health Improvement Program and the City of North Branch,  and this is one event that serves as a safety refresher while being a fun way to meet your kids’ classmates and district staff too.   Adults and kids can bring your bike or opt to walk.  The event meets Wednesday October 8, at St Gregory’s Church on Maple Street at County Road 30 at 7 a.m. and hits the road about 7:15 a.m.

The North Branch Schools’ Taxation Public Hearing is 6 p.m. December 11. Watch for meeting details in future papers. District staff will go through the final numbers of 2025-2026 budget revenues, and expenses being paid for with property tax collections beginning May 2026. 

North Branch District local property tax covers only about 11 percent, according to Todd Tetzlaff, Director of Finance and Human Resources.  The district relies on  State and Federal governments to send fiscal aids, grants and program specific funds to cover the rest.  The total ISD138 budget is estimated to need to increase from $49.9 million to $50.1 million.  North Branch School Board agreed 5-0 (with Heather Naegele absent last week) to adopt the “maximum” levy the district can support.

Tetzlaff noted that debt service is able to go down a bit because laws require 105 percent of what is needed to be collected at the start of any debt being paid off. North Branch has built up an account containing adequate funding for debt service.

Food Service and General Fund are a couple separate budget items that the Board anticipates will need an increase.  

The average increase in the North Branch District levy over the past five years has been 1.95 percent.  For 2024 the total levy dropped by $108,000— but in 2022 the district needed an increase of five percent and for 2021 the hike was 1.38 percent. 

 The total levy for 2023 was less than a one percent increase.  

It is important to check each line of your property tax statement. Follow the numbers being required for your county, city, township, special taxing district if there is one,  and the schools.  Then you can be sure you are talking with the elected officials who make the decisions budgeting those amounts.

---