Ashland School Board adopts $95.6 million 2024–25 budget, sets property tax rates

The Ashland School Board on Thursday adopted a $95,616,115 budget for the 2024–25 fiscal year and imposed property tax rates to fund district operations and debt service.

The budget adopts General Fund and other fund appropriations and sets the district's permanent tax rate at $4.1601 per $1,000 of assessed value and a local-option rate of $1.29 per $1,000. The board also set debt-service levy authority of $8,700,000 for general obligation bonds.

The budget covers the district's operating and capital needs across several funds, including $23,980,307 for general‑fund instruction and a capital projects facilities acquisition appropriation of $23,625,000. The motion to adopt the budget was moved and seconded by board directors and carried; the board recorded the motion, a second, and a voice vote in favor, and the budget was adopted.

Board and staff members emphasized that the adopted budget reflects assumptions about labor costs used in bargaining. District staff said the budget includes a 3% cost‑of‑living projection and step increases; they warned the board that any negotiated increase above that projection must be offset by reductions elsewhere, likely in staffing, because the district does not have additional unrestricted funds.

“We've built into that budget proposal a 3% cost of living increase,” district finance staff said during the meeting, and later reminded the board that higher negotiated increases would require offsets elsewhere in the spending plan.

Board members asked for clarity on enrollment and revenue lines; staff noted a year‑over‑year enrollment drop of about 80 students during the previous year and said midyear adjustments will be reflected in future budget reports. Trustees also questioned several revenue categories that showed lower year‑to‑date percentages and asked staff to confirm timing for anticipated receipts.

The board followed the standard three‑part adoption process: adopting the total budget figure, appropriating funds to purposes in each fund, and imposing property taxes. The full motion text read in public specified the total appropriation and fund‑level allocations.

With the budget adopted, the board set the district’s authorized spending and tax levies for the coming year; staff will proceed with implementation and will return to the board with any required follow‑up actions if bargaining or enrollment outcomes change the district’s financial picture.