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Manhattan‑Ogden USD 383 board authorizes notice for 2025–26 budget, sets revenue‑neutral hearing
Summary
The Manhattan‑Ogden USD 383 Board of Education voted 5‑0 to authorize legal publication of a combined notice that the district will exceed the revenue‑neutral tax rate and to set public hearings for the 2025–26 budget and tax rate, with a proposed total mill levy of 59.184 mills and hearings scheduled for Sept. 3, 2025.
Manhattan‑Ogden USD 383 Board of Education members on Aug. 6 authorized publication of a combined notice that the district will exceed the revenue‑neutral tax rate and set public hearings for the 2025–26 budget and tax rate.
The board voted 5‑0 to publish the notice and scheduled the revenue‑neutral tax rate hearing for 6:20 p.m. and the budget hearing for 6:25 p.m. on Sept. 3, 2025, at the Lincoln Education Center, 901 Poyntz Ave., Manhattan, Kansas.
The motion, as read into the record, specifies a proposed total mill levy of 59.184 mills and says the hearings are “for the purpose of hearing and answering questions related to the proposed 2025–26 mill rate adoption and the proposed 2025–26 budget for Manhattan‑Ogden USD 383.”
Why it matters: Board business this year includes capital projects from a 2018 bond, ongoing operating costs and state aid changes that affect how much property tax revenue the district needs. During the presentation, district staff emphasized that although the mill levy has declined in recent years, assessed property values increased 3.49% compared with the prior fiscal year, which slightly raises an individual property owner’s tax bill even when mills fall.
Key details from the presentation: district staff displayed the budget development calendar and unencumbered cash balances, and explained revenue sources for capital outlay. The district’s supplemental general aid (the local option budget portion supplied by the state) was described as representing just over 25% of the LOB budget, producing about $5 million in state aid. Capital outlay state aid was reported to have decreased from 10% to 5%, producing roughly $376,000 for the district under the current calculation.
Board members framed the vote in the context of earlier public decisions. Board Member Jamie noted the community’s 2018 bond vote as a principal reason the district’s mill levy remains above many other local governmental levies, and several board members thanked the public for supporting school funding.
What happens next: The district will publish the combined notice and hold the two public hearings on Sept. 3. The hearings provide an opportunity for patrons to ask questions and for the board to adopt a final mill levy and budget after hearing public comment.
Documentation and transparency: Board packet materials cited in the presentation include proposed mill levies, a 20‑year historical mill levy chart, assessed valuation data, and detailed budget pages and KSD/KSDE budget forms that produce the state aid figures. The board’s motion and the packet pages were entered into the official record at the meeting.
For further details: the board packet includes a budget at a glance and revenue/expenditure summaries that show local, state and federal revenue sources and the district’s projected unencumbered cash balances.
