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School board hiking taxes

By JOHN THOMPSON
jthompson@TheCitizennews.com

In a somewhat unexpected move, the Fayette County Board of Education Tuesday night reluctantly decided to increase the operations millage rate for the school system.

The board voted to increase the operations rate from 18.869 mills to 19.19 mills. The board also voted to lower the bond millage rate by just under a mill. If you have a home worth $200,000, your tax bill will increase by just over $19, officials said.

Superintendent John DeCotis told the board the increase was due to the state reducing the funding to Fayette County schools by $8 million over the last three years.

Another factor in the increase in taxes was the local tax digest. DeCotis said the system anticipated the digest growing by just over 9 percent, but it only grew by 6.5 percent.

The superintendent presented the board with several options, ranging from not increasing the millage at all to jumping it to 19.28 mills.

In addition to raising the rate, the school system will also make a cut in this year’s budget. DeCotis said nearly $350,000 would be trimmed from this year’s budget.

“We’re looking at getting the funds from either the technology budget or the contingency account for the construction at McIntosh High School,” He said.

But the superintendent is hopeful that when the General Assembly meets in January that some of the school system’s funding will be restored, so the system will not have to dip out of the technology budget or contingency account.

“This board has worked historically hard to reduce taxes. People also need to know that our bond issue in November would not increase taxes,” said board member Janet Smola.

Board member Greg Powers also noted that just three years ago, the state funded 60 percent of the school systems programs.

“Now, it’s 49.5 percent local funding and 50.5 percent state funding,” he said.

Because of a state law, the Fayette County Board of Education will have to hold three public hearings on the rate increase. The first is August 5 at noon, followed by an evening hearing at 7 p.m. The final hearing is August 12 at 8:30 a.m. All hearing will be held at the Board of Educations board room at 210 Stonewall Avenue in Fayetteville.