Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the School Budget Millage topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Clinton County School Board adopts tentative 2025–26 budget, sets millage above rollback rate
Summary
The board approved tentative millage rates and a tentative budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year; presenters said rising property values and lower state funding drove local revenue and overall changes.
The Clinton County School Board on Tuesday approved tentative millage rates and a tentative budget for the 2025–26 fiscal year, with the total millage exceeding the rollback rate by 4.97%. The board voted to adopt the tentative Required Local Effort of 3.101 mills, a basic discretionary rate of 0.748 mill and the tentative local capital outlay rate, then approved the tentative budget for 2025–26.
Board members and staff said the total millage amount exceeds the rollback rate by 4.97% and ‘‘the portion required by state law was higher than the rollback rate by 4.38%,’’ a district presenter told the board. Ms. Laxton summarized revenue drivers: local property values increased, producing roughly $1,000,000 more local funding, while state funding fell by about $3,600,000, which the presenter linked to an estimated decline in student membership and scholarship counts.
The tentative budget package was presented as a set of interrelated actions. The board approved the tentative Required Local Effort (3.101 mills) and the basic discretionary rate (0.748 mill) before adopting the tentative budget. Board motions occurred by voice vote with no roll-call tally recorded in the meeting transcript; each item was approved after a motion and a second, with ‘‘aye’’ called for passage.
District staff clarified major fund movements: general fund millage decreased by 0.42 in the RLE (required local effort) section governed by the state; local funding increased on the tax roll; state funding reductions were tied to an approximate decline of 250 students remaining in the district and to an increase of about 340 scholarships affecting state allocations. Special revenue funds decreased by about $4,500,000, primarily because ESSER federal pandemic-era funds are no longer available. Capital project funds were reported up approximately $630,000, tied to higher property tax revenue.
The board’s actions at this meeting were the adoption of tentative rates and a tentative budget required for advertisement and final budget approval later in the fiscal process. The district noted some federal and other revenue estimates remain uncertain and may change before the final budget is adopted in September.
For reference, the presenter repeated the opening hearing disclosure: ‘‘The total millage amount exceeds the rollback rate by 4.97%.’’
