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Wasteful spending is easy to claim in a year when more than 100 districts are seeking local support for their schools. As a member of the School Board and the Finance Advisory Committee of School District 197, which has a levy referendum on the Nov. 6 ballot, I know firsthand that waste is far harder to find than to claim. I know because I've looked. As elected school board members, we realize that citizens expect good stewardship of your tax dollars.

Our district's property owners pay the lowest school taxes of any district in our area. The state average on homes with a $250,000 taxable market value is $904. In nearby South St. Paul, those same school taxes are $1008, and much higher than that in Farmington, Rosemount-Apple Valley-Eagan, Lakeville, Hastings and Mahtomedi. If you are fortunate enough to live in School District 197, your school taxes are $704, exactly $200 below the state average and hundreds more below most neighboring communities.

By maintaining our current buildings, the community has saved millions of dollars. Renovations made possible by the 2004 building bond will be completed next summer. By updating and protecting the infrastructure - plumbing, HVAC, windows and roofing - costly new buildings will not be required in the foreseeable future. The renovations were funded in 2004 when interest rates were a low 4.2 percent, saving taxpayers millions of dollars. The same projects today would be approximately $3 million more for construction costs and almost $1 million more in higher interest costs. In addition, the board refinanced all prior bonds, saving more than $1 million over 11 years.

The district's financial records are open to the public.

District 197 spent $3,943 per student for regular instruction, an amount at or below what is spent by other districts.

Only 4.5 percent of the budget is spent on central services and district administration.

Yes, our district is challenged by rising costs - just like everyone else - but we have taken many steps to control and reduce costs:

• Employees contribute more of their health insurance costs

• An energy program has saved more than $500,000 in the past 3.5 years

• High school students who live within two miles of school pay a fee to ride the bus

• Middle school students who live within a mile of school must walk

• Fiscally tough choices were made to keep class sizes reasonable, offer a sound and broad curriculum, and attract and retain great teachers

As a school board member, I am willing to meet with any citizen who has ideas on how to eliminate "wasteful spending." The district's budget is an open book.

Voting "yes" on both questions in the upcoming referendum will ensure our community continues to have a strong public school system - one of the key factors in the value of our homes and businesses. If the levy questions do not pass, our students may be the first losers, but the potential consequences of cutting the $3.8 million required to balance next year's budget are so dire that we can expect our property values to quickly follow.

- Kent Mogler is a member of the West St. Paul-Mendota Heights-Eagan School Board.

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