A property tax levy increase to sustain the Iola school district’s operating budget was approved Monday evening by the USD 257 Board of Education.
With unanimous consent, board members approved a 1.3 total mill levy increase. They approved USD 257 Superintendent of Schools Brian Pekarek’s proposal to increase the local option budget levy by 3.3 mills, while simultaneously reducing the capital outlay levy by 2 mills.
A mill, based on assessed valuation, equates to $11.50 in property tax for the owner of a $100,000 home.
Pekarek said since 2009, the portion of dollars the state has historically matched, 61.5 percent of the district’s 3.1 million local option budget, was cut by 8.3 percent and 17 percent.
“The Legislature’s blatant disregard for the schools really worries me,” he said in an interview earlier this month.
The levy increase was in response to the most recent round of cuts that left a $174,000 hole in the district’s budget.
The 1.3-mill increase means an additional $14.95 in taxes per year for the owner of a $100,000 home.
Pekarek’s budget proposal gets entire board approval
