Ottumwa board recommends no 32-cent tax increase; schedules public hearing on unchanged levy

John, a district staff member, opened a public forum on a proposed property-tax-rate increase and said he was recommending "to the board this evening that we do not move forward with a tax rate increase this year." He told the room the district is "on sound financial position," cited a healthy solvency ratio and recent enrollment growth, and said not raising the rate is also a way to be mindful of families facing financial challenges.

Nut graf: The board received a more detailed fiscal 2026 budget presentation and, after the discussion, approved a motion to publish notice and hold a public hearing on April 21 on a proposed levy that would keep the district's rate effectively unchanged. The superintendent/staff presentation reiterated that the administration's recommendation is to keep the rate steady rather than pursue the 32¢ increase discussed earlier in pre-meeting materials.

John told the board the decision not to pursue the increase reflected community hardship, the district's financial position, and recent enrollment growth that provides flexibility. He opened the floor for public comment and said, "I promise you I won't change my mind on it." That public comment period included written remarks submitted by Jane Hoadley, a resident, who thanked the board for recognizing the difficulty of raising taxes for retirees and those on fixed incomes and asked the district to explore other revenue ideas.

In the budget presentation, staff explained the district's projected resources and constraints: certified enrollment growth, a stagnant local tax base relative to other Iowa districts, reliance on some time-limited grants for new programs, and state funding increases (State Supplemental Aid) that have lagged inflation. The presenter noted the district's taxable valuation per student is low compared with other communities and said the proposed property-tax rate for 2026 would be 14.66907 (no rate increase requested by the district).

Board action: After the presentation, a board member moved to approve the budget presentation and set the public hearing/notice for April 21; the motion was seconded and the board voted to approve the motion. The board record shows voice/hand votes; no individual roll-call tallies were recorded in the transcript.

Ending: Staff told the board this was the first of two required public hearings; the formal certification and filing deadline with county and state officials remains April 30. Board and staff emphasized they will present additional line-item detail before final certification and encouraged residents with questions to contact the district finance office.