• Key Messages Specific to ²ÝÁñÉçÇø to Share with Legislators

    • The district’s annual demographic report predicts ²ÝÁñÉçÇø will add more than 600 new students during the 2023-2024 school year. This follows the trend of high enrollment growth due to new families moving to the desirable and growing community. 

    • Personnel costs make up more than 80% of the ²ÝÁñÉçÇø budget, leaving less than 20% available for operational costs. 

    • Under the current state funding system, the only avenues for a school district to increase revenues are to increase enrollment or ask the voters to approve a tax increase of up to 13 cents through a Voter Approved Tax Ratification Election (VATRE). ²ÝÁñÉçÇø voters approved a VATRE in 2013. Since then, changes in the State’s school finance system have reduced the number of pennies utilized in ²ÝÁñÉçÇø to 9 cents. In order to return to the full 13-cent level that has already been voter approved, the State would require the District return to voters in a new VATRE to ask for approval to levy the full 13 cents. 

    • For the past 21 years, ²ÝÁñÉçÇø has participated in the state’s medical insurance plan, TRS ActiveCare, to offer benefits to employees. The state’s plan has experienced double-digit percentage increases in out-of-pocket premiums for participating employees. While ²ÝÁñÉçÇø employees did receive a 3% cost-of-living increase for 2022-2023, this does not offset the significant cost increases in their health plan coverage. 

    • The state’s current public school funding program does not provide a mechanism to adjust for inflation or rising costs in transportation, utilities, insurance, salaries, etc. 

    • K-12 public school districts do not benefit from rising property values unlike hospital districts, cities, and community college districts. Once a school district has reached the tax revenue cap, any revenue from increased property values goes to the state rather than to the local school district. 

    • The only new money put into K-12 public education during the last Legislative Session was earmarked for COVID response as part of the federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) grant program, authorized as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. This funding came with restrictions as to how it could be used and the grant expired at the end of the 2021-2022 school year.