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Lebanon Community School District No. 9 adopts $91.31 million budget, sets 4.9925 tax rate
Summary
The district's budget committee approved a $91,306,989 budget for 2024–25 and set a permanent tax rate of 4.9925 per $1,000 with a $4,477,389 debt service levy after staff answered committee questions about grant coding, pre‑K partnerships, ELL growth and coaching stipends.
The budget committee of Lebanon Community School District No. 9 approved the district's 2024–25 budget totaling $91,306,989 and adopted a permanent tax rate of 4.9925 per $1,000 for operations plus a debt service levy of $4,477,389. The committee moved and seconded the motions and approved both measures by voice vote.
Staff member outlined answers to committee questions before the motions, explaining how several program and object‑code changes are reflected in the proposed numbers. "These are indirect charges that we are able to collect a percentage for managing some grants. For example, Title and IDA grants are 3.82%. We collect 4% from the High School Success and 5% from the SIA grant," the staff member said when asked whether grant management fees are covered by grants. The staff member also described a new pre‑K program at Cascades and a partner program at Pioneer invoiced through the Boys and Girls Club, noting current‑year expenses of $93,000 from the general fund, $132,800 from the SIA grant and $7,000 from ESSER; next year that pre‑K is budgeted to the general fund.
Why it matters: staff told the committee the largest ongoing shift from last year is the reduction of one‑time federal and state funds such as ESSER, which requires using a larger share of the general fund for salaries and benefits. Staff cited a projected rise in the general fund's share of salary and benefits from about 69.4% to roughly 72.5% in 2024–25. The packet also shows program and coding adjustments across functions: a 50% increase in the English‑learner function (12‑91) tied to rising student need; recoding of a 0.5 FTE into the land lab function (25‑48) rather than a program expansion; and movement of middle school coaching stipends into the athletic fund to align budgeting with how positions are paid.
The committee pressed staff on several coding and accounting questions, including a flagged special revenue fund (907) that staff said ends Sept. 30 and, if reawarded, would be coded under fund 211 next year. Staff also explained that the YTP grant has been restructured (now called pre‑ETS) with different reporting and billing rules that could change reimbursable collections. A committee member asked about dues and fees jumping between functions; staff said those shifts are usually a matter of where programs are managed and promised to review specific lines.
During the motions, a committee member moved to adopt the budget and cited the fiscal year and total amount; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee then moved and approved the tax rate and debt service levy by voice vote; the Chair announced "Motion carries" after each vote. The meeting concluded with staff thanking principals, departments and the superintendent, Jen Meckley, and Will Lewis for their collaboration, and the Chair adjourning the meeting.
The committee did not record any roll‑call dissent or abstentions in the transcript; both measures passed on voice votes. No additional formal actions or referrals were recorded at the meeting.
