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The Cloquet school board approved a maximum levy increase Monday after a Truth in Taxation meeting that had no input from the public. Taxpayers can expect a 4.79-percent increase in the school portion of their taxes for the year 2024.

District budget manager Candace Nelis said a huge factor in the increase is the delicate dance of state aid in contrast to property values in school districts. Values on property in Carlton County increased by up to 7 percent, Nelis said, meaning that even a “zero” increase in school taxes would leave residents paying more.

And state aid is based on a fun...