No change in MISD tax rate; enrollment up
editor@woodcountynews.com
The Mineola Independent School District’s tax rate of $1.17 is expected to remain the same for fiscal 2018-19, but it will raise $359,302 more in revenue over fiscal 2017-18 thanks to a heftier tax …
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No change in MISD tax rate; enrollment up
The Mineola Independent School District’s tax rate of $1.17 is expected to remain the same for fiscal 2018-19, but it will raise $359,302 more in revenue over fiscal 2017-18 thanks to a heftier tax base.
MISD’s tax rate has been the same since 2007. It is the highest it can be without triggering a rollback election.
The school district has released a projected budget that calls for expenditures of $14.24 million, a 3.68 percent increase over last year. Money from the Foundation School Fund ($6.89 million) and other sources will account for $8.6 million in revenue. The local tax rate is expected to raise the rest, $5.6 million.
This year’s taxable value for the district came in at $451.39 million, an increase of $30.7 million over last year, according to the school district. The rise in value was led by residential property, and much of that increase is attributed to revaluations, according to William Bjork, assistant superintendent of business. The average market value of a home rose from $116,564 to $119,938, and the average residential property owner will see a $46.88 increase in taxes. A public hearing on the proposed tax rate is set for 6:30 p.m., Aug. 30 at the district’s administration building.
At its meeting on Aug. 20, the school board also heard an enrollment report for the first week of the new school year. The headcount for Aug. 16, the first day of school, stood at 1,583. The count on Aug. 20, however, was up 31 students to 1,614, which is up 20 kids over 2017. The increase has come mainly at the Elementary School.
Superintendent Kim Tunnell told board members that this school year “had the smoothest start that I’ve ever seen as an administrator.”
In other business, the school board was notified of $17,500 in donations from Mineola Foundation Inc. MISD accepted a $3,500 gift to hire a grant writer for career and technical education funding. It also accepted $14,000 for automobile lifts for its auto tech program.
The board also awarded a bid to Duko Oil for fuel and petroleum products, and to Republic Services for trash removal. Republic’s monthly charge of $867 is $17 more than last year’s rate.
