Administration asks the board to set a $99.7 million school levy and adopt a $229 million budget

What happened

The October 26 agenda asks the board to adopt the 2026-27 budget (about $229 million across all funds) and set a total tax levy of $99,688,186, a rate of $9.93 per $1,000 of equalized value. The levy rose $385,454 after the October 5 annual meeting because state aid came in $189,912 lower than expected.

Why it matters to families

The state added no new money to the aid pool, so more of the cost shifts to local taxpayers. The levy also now pays more than $1 million for charter and voucher schools for the first time. The rate is still lower than the $11.30 estimated for the 2024 operating referendum.

The evidence

The finance director's report in the agenda packet gives the levy, the mill rate, the aid change and the $229 million total. The October 26 minutes were not yet posted, so the vote is treated as proposed.

The source