HUMBOLDT — School officials will cut ribbons Wednesday to mark essential completion of a new classroom wing and technology building within Humboldt USD 258.
The ribbon cutting ceremonies will be at 6 p.m. at Humboldt Elementary School, which is getting the new classroom wing, bus lane and parking lot. The ribbon cutting for the new technology building will be at the high school at 6:30, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Amber Wheeler said.
An open house is expected in early 2025, after the rest of the work encompassing the $17.5 million bond issue is completed. Wheeler expected the rest of the work, including replacing an elevator at the high school, replacing and renovating the heating and cooling systems and new fire alarms and roof work, to be done by the end of the year.
CONSTRUCTION progress was a centerpoint of Monday’s USD 258 Board of Education meeting, Wheeler said, although board members approved a few other items.
They hired Penny Herder, Klhoeigh Shaffer and Anya Woods as paraprofessionals at HES.
Board members also scheduled a Sept. 3 budget hearing to discuss the district’s 2024-25 spending plan, which would be supported with an ad valorem tax levy of about 55 mills.
That levy is a full mill lower than this year’s levy of 56.469 mills.
That’s because of a slight decrease in the levy for USD 258’s local options budget, from 14.7 to 13.8 mills.
Combine that with the 20 mills assessed for general fund obligations, another 8 mills for capital outlay projects and 13.5 mills to pay for the aforementioned construction projects, and you have a projected total of 55.339 mills, although that number may change a smidgen once final assessed valuations are determined later this fall..
That means the owner of a $100,000 home would spend about $636 to support USD 258 for the fiscal year. That figure does not account for property taxes to support other entities, such as the City of Humboldt, the county or Allen Community College.
And while the mill levy should be slightly lower, the total tax dollars generated will increase, because of an uptick in the school district’s assessed valuation.
