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District staff outline FY27 budget drivers and a proposed maximum mill rate of 51.177 mills
Summary
Finance staff presented a proposed maximum mill levy of 51.177 mills for FY27 driven by appraisal increases and rising costs, and listed major cost drivers including a $1.4M health-insurance increase, substitute-services budgeting, and $3.6M for salary increases.
District finance staff presented details of the FY27 budget proposal and explained why the administration is recommending a higher maximum mill levy this cycle.
"The total that we're proposing this year, the maximum is 51.177 mills," finance staff said, noting that part of the increase is attributable to rising appraised values and part to the district's decision to raise some local levies. The presenter explained that about one-third of the projected tax increase is attributable to appraisal growth while the remainder would come from a deliberate change in the district's mill levy.
Specific cost drivers cited included a $1,400,000 increase in health-insurance costs, budgeting for substitute services tied to fill rates, and roughly $3,600,000 budgeted for salary increases across certified, classified and administrative staff. The special-liability fund also was increased to cover outside counsel costs tied to an OCR complaint; finance staff said the fund was raised by about $250,000 because outside counsel had been engaged.
Staff told the board the district currently sits near a 29.6% Local Option Budget (LOB) level and the proposal is to increase toward the statutory 33% cap; staff said the request was discussed in finance committee meetings and with board members. The timeline for publishing required budget documents was also provided: permission to publish would be requested at the Aug. 20 meeting, with notices appearing Aug. 24 and hearings scheduled for early September.
