Bennett School District reviews balanced 2025–26 budget, proposes one-year disaster tax to cover storm damage

At a workshop Monday, Aug. 18, 2025, the Bennett School District Board of Trustees reviewed its final amended 2024–25 budget and the proposed 2025–26 budget, and discussed a one-year temporary tax increase to help cover an estimated $3.9 million in storm damage, district officials said.

Dr. Taylor, staff member, said the district began preparing the 2025–26 budget in early 2024 and used a budget advisory committee before adopting budget assumptions in February 2025. Melissa, staff member, presented the detailed figures and told the board, “This is our final budget workshop for the 25–26 school year.”

The presentation showed the district’s final 2024–25 amendment (amendment No. 11) projecting roughly $144 million in revenues and $153 million in expenditures for a $7 million deficit in 2024–25, with an expected year-end general fund balance of about $30,816,712, or roughly 20 percent of operating expenditures. For 2025–26 the district staff proposed a balanced general fund with revenues and expenditures each of $153,309,901.

Board members and staff discussed tax-rate mechanics under state law. Melissa said the district is proposing a maintenance and operations (M&O) rate of 0.7552 and an interest and sinking (I&S) rate of 0.3625 for a total proposed tax rate of 1.1494. Staff also…