Cornell School Board Annual Meeting/Budget Hearing - Taxpayers won’t get socked with higher levy

Students let their creativity shine at the Cornell Elementary School, which was on display at parent-teacher conferences and for the annual meeting Oct. 23. Using a variety of mediums, the young artists depicted items and scenes from other cultures. Photos by Ginna Young

By Ginna Young

Times are hard at the moment, but taxes won’t go to the maximum on the school end of Cornell’s levy, thanks to a decision Oct. 23, at the annual meeting and budget hearing. Board of education members approved the levy at the regular school board meeting, which followed.

Cornell’s levy is only set at $1,736,023, instead of the maximum $2.36 million that could be levied, because the district still has ESSER III money. If the maximum amount was enacted, the taxes as a percent would go up 27.5 percent, as opposed to 8.5 percent.

“You guys have been at that for 30 years, where you’re locked in at your low amount,” said superintendent Paul Schley.

This year, aid was bumped up $1,000, per pupil, but state aid didn’t correspond to that. The district had to absorb that, by putting the ESSER money in the fund balance, with a 6.14 mill rate.

There’s about $4 million in Fund 46, for capital improvements, which is how the updates to the track were paid for, so the district doesn’t have to short-term borrow. “It’s nice to have the money set aside,” said Schley. “You guys have been good stewards of the taxpayer money, conservative where you needed to be and now we can help them, coming off high inflation. A lot of districts are going to the max.”

It was also agreed at the meeting to keep board member per meeting compensation the same.

At the following regular meeting, Schley reported that the district now has buried fiber, because he’s always concerned when the power goes out/trees are down in the city, that the schools won’t have internet. It wasn’t a cheap project, but peace of mind is priceless, and $36,000 of the $45,000 cost will be reimbursed by rebates.

Hearing no objections, it was agreed to change school policy and have board meetings at 5 p.m., instead of 7 p.m., the fourth Monday of each month, unless the date falls on a holiday.

Members also approved the hire of head middle school boys basketball coach Ben Modl; and high school assistant boys basketball coach Austin Galster.

They also approved the school calendar, with an overwhelming majority of staff preferring to take less breaks and get done before Memorial Day.

“I think that speaks,” said board member Stephanie Seidlitz.