The
School Board approved the levy payable in 2009, which funds the
district during the 2009-10 school year. The total levy will be
$20,526,197.50, which is approximately $370,000 lower than what was
preliminarily approved, meaning property taxes will be less than
reported in residents tax statements.
School Board members
discussed whether to include in the levy debt service on bonds that may
be sold to pay for Other Post Employment Benefits (OPEB) costs that the
district currently pays out of the general fund. Those costs reflect
post-retirement health insurance benefits for retired employees and
equal $337,000 for the 2008-09 school year. With the cost expected to
continue to rise, School Board members expressed a desire to balance
protecting taxpayers with protecting programs and staffing. Although the
district’s full OPEB liability is $12 million and the Board could have
approved a levy to cover that amount, Board members agreed to levy to
cover only up to $6 million in OPEB bonds. The District has still not
sold those bonds, and that decision is not expected until January or
February.