MP schools? tax levy to decrease

By Karyn Spory, Mt. Pleasant News

Residents in the Mt. Pleasant Community School District will be seeing a change in their tax levy, and Ed Chabal, director of business and finance, says it?s one they?ll like.

The current tax levy is $14.33 per $1,000 valuation. However, as the district will pay off the bond for the high school this year, the debt service levy?s column within the budget will be a row of zeros.

?It was actually the high school and two elementary school additions back when it was a bond issue,? clarified Chabal, ?but people kind of think of it as the high school bond. The last payment will be in May.?

With the last payment out of the way, the district will see the tax levy decrease by $0.82, which will make the tax levy for Fiscal Year 2018 $13.51 per $1,000 valuation.

?That?s a great thing,? he added.

The district does still have outstanding sales tax bonds that remain on the middle school project. Those payments are made with monies from the construction fund. ?And that?s the sales tax proceeds,? he said of the construction fund.

The bond for the middle school improvements will be paid off in 2022.

Chabal will present the complete budget on Monday, April 10, during the school board meeting in the High School media center. A public hearing regarding the budget is scheduled to begin at 6:15 p.m.

The budget must be certified on or before April 17, 2017.