New Prague Area Schools board certifies 2026 property tax levy after referendum; district outlines FY26 budget
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Summary
The New Prague Area Schools board unanimously certified the district's final levy for taxes payable in 2026 after a presentation tying the increase to a successful operating referendum; the district presented its FY26 budget, revenue mix and homeowner tax-impact examples.
The New Prague Area Schools Board on Monday certified the district's final property tax levy for taxes payable in 2026 following an annual Truth in Taxation presentation and the November passage of an operating referendum.
Brian Fell, who led the Truth in Taxation presentation, told the board the referendum passed on Nov. 4 added an operating levy component that increased the district's proposed levy. "This increase is due to the successful referendum in 2025," Fell said during the presentation. After discussion the board voted to approve the final levy certification by voice vote; the motion passed 7-0.
Fell reviewed the district's proposed FY26 budget and explained how the district uses fund accounting. He told the board that, according to the budget slides, roughly 82.81% of general fund revenues come from state aid, with smaller shares from federal aid, property taxes and local revenues. The presentation also noted a recent bond rating (double-A3) and a clean audit opinion for fiscal 2025 from the district's auditors.
As an example of homeowner impact, Fell displayed a scenario for a $400,000 home showing estimated school taxes of about $1,447 per year under the proposed levy and highlighted the various levy components (categorical levies, voter-approved operating referendum, voter-approved debt and board-approved debt). Fell also showed how different property value change scenarios would affect the tax impact.
The board approved other routine business on the same agenda, including the consent agenda and a small grant from the district's Education Foundation. The meeting packet and presentation slides (provided to the board and public) contain the full line-by-line levy tables and spreadsheet models used to derive the examples shown.
What's next: counties will mail the official statements to taxpayers in March 2026 for taxes payable that year, and property valuation appeals are handled by county boards of appeal and equalization in the spring.