Abby K-12 tax levy to remain the same in 24-25

By Kevin O’Brien

Although the amount of general operating revenue and community service funds will increase significantly this school year, the Abbotsford School District’s overall property tax levy will be virtually identical to what it was in 20232024 as the result of action taken at Monday’s annual meeting.

Electors at the annual meeting, most of whom were school board members or district staff, approved an operating levy of about $1.4 million with a mil rate of $8.91 per thousand dollars of equalized property value. When rounded to a full dollar amount, the mil rate is exactly the same as last year, but when extended to a long decimal, the rate actually drops by 23 cents for $100,000 of property value.

The district’s total tax levy for 2024-2025 will be about $2.7 million, a drop of about $50 over last school year. Within that total, the general fund levy will increase by about 42 percent and the community service fund will nearly double, from $65,000 to $120,000, but the referendum debt service levy will drop by nearly $500,000 to $1 million.

Finance director Ashley Dake said the district’s debt obligations will go up significantly this year due to the $17 million referendum that passed in April, but the district will be taking about $890,000 out of its fund balance to offset the impact on the tax levy.

“Otherwise, our mil rate would have gone up considerably,” she said.

The district’s community service fund will also “take a drastic jump” this year, up to $180,000, due to the school resource officer going full time and the loss of an after-school grant, Dake said. A majority of that will be paid for by the amount of property taxes collected.

Besides the $17 million approved by referendum for classroom additions and remodeling, the budget also includes $50,000 to replace a van that went out of service and $65,000 for technology upgrades.

All together, the district’s general fund expenses will total $12.1 million this school year, an increase of just over $700,000 from last year.

As far as debt obligations, the district will make its final payments on a $5.7 million bond issued in 2016 and a $1.5 million referendum approved in 2022, but the newly passed referendum will require over a $1 million in debt payments starting in 2025.

“Out with the old and in with the new I guess,” Dake said.

Other business

■ ■ Electors approved a $25 per meeting increase in school board salaries for 2024-2025, at the recommendation of superintendent Ryan Bargender. Board member Kraig Schindler voted no.

■ ■ Electors approved a motion to continue secondary insurance for students, as it has for many years. Schindler abstained.

■ ■ Next year’s annual meeting was scheduled for Monday, Oct. 20.