School levy promises to deliver significant tax break

Grafton School District residents, albeit not many of them, approved a $14.3 million school tax levy at Monday’s annual meeting.

That includes $13.7 million in the general fund and $517,000 in the non-referendum debt service fund.

Residents, mostly staff members, also voted to give School Board members a raise. Officers’ pay will increase from $1,650 to $1,700 and general board members’ pay will increase from $1,550 to $1,600. Board members did not vote on that resolution.

Last year’s tax rate of $7.04 per $1,000 of equalized property value is estimated to fall 71 cents (10%) to $6.33.

That means the owner of a $300,000 home would pay $1,899 in school taxes, $214 less than last year. The owner of a $500,000 home would pay $3,165, which is $356 less than last year.

It’s the fourth straight year the tax rate has fallen and its the lowest rate ever in the revenue limits era that started in 1993, district Director of Business Services Topher Adams said.

Final budget numbers will be determined by the state later this fall. The School Board will approve the updated budget after that.

The district receives 45.5% of its revenue from local property taxes and $37.7% in equalization aid from the state.

Salaries make up 42.4% of the expenditures, and benefits another 19%. Purchased outsourced services total 18%, most of which includes work that school employees used to do, such as nightly cleaning, Adams said. 

Enrollment has been on the rise the past couple of years. The Sept. 15 count of students in school this year was 2,205, an increase of 24 from last year’s 2,181, which was 48 students higher than 2023’s 2,133.

Elementary and middle school populations are changing this year after a referendum funded an addition to John Long Middle School to accommodate fifth-graders, which previously attended elementary schools. Its population went from 453 to 611, while Woodview Elementary School’s fell from 493 to 430 and Kennedy Elementary School’s went from 499 to 435.

The district’s equalized value is projected to increase $410,00 million (15%), from $2.735 billion to $3.145 billion.