Watertown Board approves tax warrants, contracts and personnel items; authorizes school safety officer to carry firearm

The Watertown City School District Board of Education on Oct. 17 approved a series of routine and substantive items including the district tax warrant for the 2025–26 school year, the Flower/Clark Memorial Library levy, a three-year data processing services agreement with the City of Watertown, a school safety officer employment agreement that includes authorization to carry a firearm while on duty, and several personnel and textbook-disposal items.

Board members voted to confirm the tax roll and issue the district tax collection warrant for the 2025–26 school year. The resolution says voters authorized the board to raise up to $103,909,155 for 2025–26 and directs tax collection to begin Oct. 7 and end Dec. 5, 2025. The resolution sets a penalty schedule of no penalty Oct. 7–Nov. 7 and 2% interest Nov. 8–Dec. 5, after which unpaid taxes are to be turned over to the county per the warrant language presented to the board.

The board separately approved the library tax levy for the Flower/Clark Memorial Library authorizing collection of $75,000 under the same collection window and penalty schedule described for district taxes.

The board approved a three-year data processing services agreement with the City of Watertown to continue city-managed assessment and tax-bill production services for the district. The amounts disclosed during discussion were $11,300 for the 2025–26 school year; $11,639 for 2026–27; and $11,988.17 for 2027–28.

On personnel and…