The Litchfield School Board certified its preliminary 2008-09 levy at $2,907,805.31 Monday.

The general tax levy represents a $85,290, or 3.02 percent, increase over 2007-08, said Superintendent Bill Wold. The district plans to levy the maximum in all areas, except in Health and Safety, which is paying back Lake Ripley Elementary improvements dating to 2000-01.

Filing for the November election came to a close Tuesday, and few candidates filed for open for open School Board seats.

The Litchfield School District had four filings for three open school board positions. Incumbents Stacey Helstrom, Karla Rick and Brian Park, as well as newcomer John W. Mueller, filed affidavits of candidacy.

Scores of Litchfield High School games in the gymnasium will be a little larger and brighter this sports season.

Two new scoreboards will be installed in the gymnasium in the coming week, said Litchfield Business Manager Todd Swanson as he updated School Board members Monday on the status of summer projects.

People interested in running for city, school district and township offices in the upcoming November election can begin filing an affidavit of candidacy today (Tuesday).

Filing can be done at city and school district offices, or by contacting the township clerk.

The filing period continues through 5 p.m. Sept. 9. A filing fee is required for all offices.

Litchfield School District voters will be asked to rescind the district's current operating levy and replace it with a $600 per pupil levy during the general election in November.

School Board members voted Monday to place a question on the November ballot asking voters for the 10-year $600 levy. The levy will generate $1,278,714 a year for the district.

When the 2008 general election comes around Nov. 4, Litchfield School District residents may be asked to open their wallets.

The Litchfield School Board is expected to consider asking voters to approve a larger excess operating levy to give the district a boost in revenue.

District administrators will conduct a levy presentation at Monday’s meeting to give School Board members a better view of the district’s financial picture.

The price of a corn dog or a chicken patty will cost parents more next year.

The Litchfield School Board voted to raised breakfast and lunch meals by a dime for the 2008-09 school year. The increase is the result of anticipated rises in food prices.

“I feel there’s going to be a raise in food prices due to the increase in delivery raises because of fuel prices,” business manager Todd Swanson said Monday.

The Litchfield School Board approved another rounds of cuts Monday.

Board members authorized $150,000 in cuts to balance the 2008-09 budget. While the reductions will not affect class sizes or programming, Superintendent Bill Wold suggested the time for cutting teacher positions might not be so far away.

“My speculation is this is the last time I could recommend something like this without increasing class size,” he said. “We’re to the point there we’ve squeezed quite a bit.”

The Litchfield School Board will be asked to make several cuts for the 2008-09 school year at tonight’s meeting.

The recommended reductions total $150,000 and include eliminating a high school/middle media specialist, as well as a building custodian. The other savings should come from reducing a high school special education teacher to half time and eliminating a district paraprofessional position.

The Litchfield School Board will vote on whether to cease operation of Libre Academy, a sober school aimed at helping students recovering from drug and alcohol dependencies, at tonight's 7:30 p.m. board meeting in the Meeker County Family Services Building.

Superintendent Bill Wold is expected to recommend the board close the alternative-learning program's sober school, which it took under its wing last fall. Instead, Wold is recommending the board develop and implement a similar program to be integrated into the high school.