We have heard so much about the push to remain revenue neutral from each of the taxing entities that impact our property taxes. With property valuations increasing exponentially, we are all seeing increasing tax bills. Our Board of Education is being pressured to "remain revenue neutral" in an effort to mitigate our higher taxes. The problem with remaining revenue neutral is that the same bills that we see going up in our own households are also going up for our school district. Add to that the financial hole we are in, with neglected building maintenance and lower than average salaries for educators and district staff, and remaining revenue neutral seems to be in direct conflict with the published Board Goals of Fiscal Responsibility and Retaining and Recruiting Excellent Teachers.
Below is an excellent Letter to the Editor published in the August 12, 2023 edition of the Leavenworth Times. Linked below that is the Building Needs Assessment (BNA) that the BOE uses to determine the budget for the coming school year. We pulled the BNA documents straight from the district website.
To the editor: This week, property tax assessment letters went out just in time before the Lansing BOE decides on the budget and about staying revenue neutral or exceeding revenue neutral on Aug 14.
The increases for USD 469 are listed in the letter (the first three are for USD 469).
Turns out that someone who lives in a $100K house will pay $70 more per year - that is slightly under $6 per month).
For a $200K house, it will be $140 more (under $12 per month).
For an over $415K house, it's $283 more (under $24 per month), and for a $500K house, the increase will be $375 (under $32 per month).
It's also important to mention that these are proposed increases (the maximum), so the actual increases could be lower.
You can decide for yourself if a small increase in your property taxes is worth retaining our teachers by giving them significant raises or not.
Giving them a 1% or 2% raise will not keep them here with other school districts offering more.
For me, it's absolutely worth it to retain our wonderful teachers who deserve a significant raise. It's very important for keeping up student performance.
Let the Lansing school board know what you think.
-Ulrike Seward/ Lansing