Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget And Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Beatrice board approves 2025–26 budget, sets property tax request and authorizes routine repairs and interfund repayment
Summary
The Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education approved the 2025–26 budget and property tax request, authorized an outside freezer replacement at the high school and approved a $50,000 interfund repayment; motions passed by voice vote with seconds noted during the meeting.
The Beatrice Public Schools Board of Education voted to approve the district’s 2025–26 budget and set its property tax request, and it approved several routine financial items, including a building repair and an interfund repayment.
On the budget, the board approved the 2025–26 operating budget as presented in the budget hearing. Superintendent Jason Alexander said the district met the state’s LC-2 certification requirements. “Nothing to add. We meet all the requirements of the LC 2 document and certification by the state,” Alexander said. Board members voted to adopt the budget; the motion passed.
The board also approved the district’s 2025–26 property tax request as presented. The board set the general fund tax request at $14,682,949 (a 0.771404 tax rate), the special building fund at $2,222,222 (0.11675 rate), and the qualified capital purpose undertaking fund at $464,646 (0.024411 rate). The board’s resolution cited Nebraska Revised Statutes 77-1632 and 77-1633 and stated the total assessed value of property differed from last year’s value by 12.44%. District staff reported that, if the district levied the same dollar amount as last year, the corresponding tax rate would be 0.888071 per $100 of assessed value; the proposed request would cause a tax rate of 0.912565 per $100 of assessed value. The district said its total operating budget will increase by 8.72% compared with last year’s budget; the superintendent noted the CLSD grant of approximately $1,500,000 increases expenditures but does not change the tax asking.
On facility repairs, the board approved an estimate to replace the outdoor walk-in freezer condensing unit at Beatrice High School. Facilities staff noted the unit has significant hail damage and its condenser coil condition and age warrant replacement. Atris Mechanical submitted the only quote on file; the total cost was approximately $27,450. The motion passed.
The board also approved a repayment of $50,000 from the building fund to the general fund in accordance with an interfund borrowing resolution passed on June 10, 2024. The superintendent explained that the general fund lent just over $2,000,000 to the building fund to close out construction costs on the new elementary school; this $50,000 repayment was recorded for transparency because some current board members were not on the board when the original transfer was authorized.
All motions on these items were moved and seconded; seconds were recorded as coming from a board member identified as Eric for multiple items, and Forrest made the motion to set the property tax request. The meeting record shows that each motion “passes,” but detailed roll-call tallies were not transcribed.
The board adjourned after approving the listed items. The superintendent noted the budget will be filed with the Nebraska Department of Education and other required offices by Sept. 29.
