Millard Public Schools Board Committee met Aug. 4 for two public hearings required by Nebraska law on the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and the property tax request to fund it. Administration presented a proposed 3.2% budget increase and described plans to keep the district's reserve near the 20% statutory maximum while lowering the levy slightly from 1.118 to 1.1124.

The hearings were intended to receive public comment on the proposed budget and related tax request. Doug Kagan, representing Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, spoke during the designated public comment period and praised district budget work, saying the district had “shifted over 13,000,000 onto local property taxpayers” after receiving less state aid than expected and that the district has maintained low per-student spending while scoring high on state assessments. Kagan also said the district earned his group's budget “5 stars.”

The administration presentation, delivered by Mr. Mieskier, summarized changes since a June 2 briefing and described how the district reduced a continuation budget increase of about 5.2% to the current proposed 3.2% through cuts and other measures. “We are proposing a 3.2% budget increase,” Mieskier said, and noted the district plans to use a 5% estimate for final property-valuation growth while remaining prepared to lower the levy if certified valuations come in higher.

Nut graf: The hearings provided public transparency required by state law and gave the board and public an updated fiscal picture: a proposed $294,350,673 general fund, continued use of a large contingency and reserve, and a proposed increase in the district's general-fund tax request from $157,686,032 (FY25) to $165,465,998 (FY26). No formal adoption of the budget or tax request occurred at the meeting; adoption is tentatively scheduled for the board meeting on Sept. 22, 2025.

In the presentation and subsequent discussion, administration highlighted key assumptions and risks: an estimated 5% increase in property valuations used for planning (with a cited Douglas County estimate of 5.8%), potential instability in state or federal funding, and the district’s plan to preserve reserves and contingency funds to cover short-term revenue disruptions. Administration said federal special-education funding cannot simply be cut midyear due to legal requirements and that contingency and reserve funds are intended to bridge any short-term shortfalls while the district adjusts budgets for subsequent years.

Officials also explained budget technicalities: some funds that do not affect the levy (for example, the School Nutrition Fund and the employee benefit fund) are budgeted for transparency; technology software licensing was folded into the technology budget; and some curriculum adoption costs will be managed via depreciation funds rather than the general fund to reduce immediate levy pressure. The presentation noted the district remains among the lowest per-student spenders in Nebraska and cited economy-of-scale and historical spending restraint as factors.

The administration read the proposed fund expenditures aloud for the record: general fund $294,350,673; depreciation fund $918,009; employee benefit fund $47,000,000; contingency fund $2,820,002; activities fund $12,500,000; school lunch fund $16,725,000; bond fund $3,030,450,000; special building fund $57,582,007; and student fee fund $900,000. For the property-tax request, the administration read that the general-fund tax request would rise from $157,686,032 (FY25) to $165,465,998 (FY26); the bond fund request from $18,733,167 to $19,669,826; and the building fund request from $5,701,399 to $5,131,260.

No members of the public asked to speak during either of the formal hearings after the presentation, and the board closed both hearings. At the end of the meeting a motion to adjourn was moved and seconded and carried by recorded voice vote (ayes from the members listed on the roll call). The administration said it expects final property valuations to be certified Aug. 20 and that the board will likely reduce the levy further if valuations come in higher; a board member will be appointed to accompany staff on a Sept. 17 procedural appearance tied to the tax notices.

Ending: The board completed the hearings and did not take final action to adopt the FY2026 budget or property-tax request at the Aug. 4 meeting; the district plans to return on Sept. 22, 2025 for formal adoption. The administration and board emphasized preserving reserve levels and contingency planning while monitoring final valuation data and potential state or federal funding changes.