The overall tax rate will barely budge, but taxpayers in the Wethersfield School District will be paying slightly higher taxes next year.
Superintendent Dr. Andrew Brooks told the Board of Education at its November meeting that in reviewing the tentative FY23 levy, while the district’s tax rate will be kept relatively flat, the growth in Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) will raise taxes for homeowners. In Henry County, where most of the school district lies, EAV increased by 4.28% from 2022 to 2023, while values in Stark and Bureau counties, which include smaller areas of the district, went up 3%. Overall, the district’s EAV went from $65,291,712 to $68,053,380, an increase of $2,761,668, or 4.23%.
With amounts requested in Education, Operations & Maintenance, Transportation, and other funds totaling $3,261,792, and factoring in $157,941 abated from countywide school facilities sales tax fund the final tax rate will go from the current 4.517300 to 4.517878, an increase of .000578.
So, how will homeowners in the Wethersfield school district be affected?
“That’s tough, because it all depends on where a homeowner’s assessed valuation comes in as well as the EAV for the counties (Henry, Stark or Bureau),” Dr. Brooks told The Kewanee Voice in response to the question. “If I were guessing, I’d say that with a relatively flat tax rate, that the school portion of the tax bill would increase between $30-to-$60 per year at that levied rate.” Brooks said “The EAV comes from rough estimates from the assessors office,” explaining that there are always protests, revisions, and new property coming onto the rolls “and a little estimation as well.”
Since the amount of taxes requested in the FY23 levy is more than 5% greater than the previous year’s tax extension, a required truth in taxation hearing must be held before the levy is adopted. “When the bond levy ($472,945) is factored in, we actually are under the 5% at 4.88% because the bond levy is less than last year,” said Brooks. “So, did we need the truth in taxation hearing, probably not but it’s never a bad idea to do so.”
The board approved holding the hearing at 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, Dec. 14, prior to its December meeting which will be held in the boardroom at Wethersfield High School, earlier than usual because a Christmas program is scheduled that evening. The levy will be approved during the regular meeting that follows.
The board also approved what was described as a shorter and more understandable teacher evaluation plan. Dr. Brooks said the plan was reduced from 66 to 36 pages and includes 20 actual evaluation instruments. He said the revised plan is easier to understand and clearly spells out what takes place in the evaluation process.
The board also approved the district’s crisis management plan which lays out what happens in the event of an emergency which requires evacuation of the school buildings. The plan designates two off-site locations, or assembly points, near the school where students would go directly, and a reunification site where parents would be directed to go to pick up their children.
In other news, Elementary Principal Kyle Dennison reported that 98% of student’s parents or guardians attended recent parent/teacher conferences.
High school principal Tyler Nichols reported that teams in three fall sports, football, volleyball, and cross country, were involved in post-season competition this year. He also reported that Wethersfield hosted the LTC Choir Festival this year and the Wethersfield FFA attended the National FFA Convention in Indianapolis.
The board also approved setting Sunday, May 19, at 2 p.m. for the 2024 high school graduation.
