Auburn‑Washburn holds revenue neutral rate hearing, board approves procedural resolution; final levy to be set later

The Auburn‑Washburn USD 437 Board of Education on Sept. 2 held a revenue neutral rate hearing on the proposed property tax levy for the 2025‑26 budget, heard public comments from district residents about tax burdens, and adopted a resolution under Kansas Statute KSA 79‑2988 as a procedural step in the budget process.

At the hearing district staff reviewed the district’s mill levy history, explaining the board had previously reduced the levy about 4.5 mills in the years before a bond election and later increased it by about 7.5 mills following bond sales — a net increase of roughly 3 mills from the low point. The presenter said the district had submitted an inflated revenue neutral rate to the county treasurer’s office earlier in the summer because budget details were not finalized, and that board direction is to build the 2025‑26 budget “by maintaining a flat mill levy rate.” The presenter added the district does not plan to use a cost‑of‑living cushion that had been included in the early filing.

Two residents addressed the board during public comment. “Our school district tax is nearly 4% of our income,” said Scott Beglin, a district resident, who described being on a fixed income and said recent tax increases have forced household spending cuts. “We have to choose sometimes every month what medications we might cut from our budget,” he told board members. Janet Reinhardt, another district resident, said she pays “over $9,000 in property taxes” and told the board many neighbors are concerned about rising costs; she urged the board to “please keep these costs under control.”

As required by the notice process in KSA 79‑2988, the board read a resolution stating the board had held a hearing and “finds it necessary to exceed the revenue neutral rate” and then conducted a roll‑call vote on that resolution. The roll call resulted in a unanimous procedural approval; the clerk recorded the vote as six yea, zero nay (one member, Michael White, was absent). The board chair clarified after the vote that this roll‑call step is part of the statutory process and is not the board’s final action to set the mill levy. The chair said the board intends to return at its next meeting with a proposed levy at the same number used for 2024‑25 and will seek to remove the temporary two‑tenths increase that appeared in the initial filing.

The district’s presentation also noted statutory allocations that commonly appear in levy schedules (for example, 20 mills for the general fund and 8 mills for capital outlay) and that some districts include a cost‑of‑living adjustment in their early filings; Auburn‑Washburn staff said they do not plan to tap that adjustment for 2025‑26. Board members and staff stated the vote taken at the hearing implements the statutory notification and hearing requirement under KSA 79‑2988 and does not itself fix the final mill levy for the budget year.

What happened next: The board later published the notice of public hearing for the fiscal year 2025‑26 budget and will consider the final mill levy and the budget adoption at a subsequent meeting.

Meeting evidence: the hearing began with the board chair calling to order the revenue neutral rate hearing and staff reviewing an 11‑year mill levy trend; public comment included the statements by Scott Beglin and Janet Reinhardt; the board read the resolution referencing KSA 79‑2988 and conducted a roll‑call vote recorded as 6‑0 in favor.

Outcome: Procedural resolution under KSA 79‑2988 adopted (roll call yeas 6, nays 0); staff directed to present the final proposed mill levy and budget at the next meeting with intent to keep the levy flat compared with 2024‑25.