Board adopts 2026-27 budget and $39.6 million tax levy; tax rate falls to $6.22

What happened

On Oct. 26 the board voted 5-2 to approve the 2026-27 budget and tax levy. The school tax levy is $39,593,773 (up 0.9%), and the tax rate is $6.22 per $1,000 of property value, down from $6.35. State equalization aid fell 11.4% to $16.6 million, and the district is using $1,514,593 of reserves to balance the budget.

Why it matters to families

The levy is the school property tax bill for homeowners and businesses. Enrollment is down (3,693 full-time equivalent students, 56 fewer), which lowers the amount the state lets the district raise, and aid dropped by about $2.1 million.

The evidence

The Oct. 26 minutes record the vote (5 yes, 2 no) and a rejected attempt to raise the Instruction line by about $1.1 million. The budget presentation lists levy, aid, mill rate, reserves and vouchers ($2.9 million, up 15.4%).

The source