Kimball School Taxes Stay Flat

Kimball School Board held two meetings before their regular meeting on Monday evening. The 2021-22 budget was the topic for both meetings, with a budget presentation by Superintendent Trevor Anderson highlighting the past five budget years of valuations, property tax rates, and property tax requests.

The levy for the Kimball district will remain the same as last year which is 1.05 per $100 of assessed valuation.

Although the property tax request is up 0.9%, the valuations also are up 0.9%.

Following the budget presentation and meeting, the board held a special budget hearing to set the final tax request. No one spoke at the public hearing on the budget. Last week’s Observer published the budget summary and final tax request.

A presentation consumed the majority of the regular school board meeting by Jacob Hurla from Community Building Solutions. The school board is investigating improvements for both the high school and Mary Lynch. Hurla’s presentation was in-depth, lengthy and professional.

Identified areas of needed improvement are heating and cooling systems, windows and doors, and LED lighting. With such enhancements, Hurla anticipates significant energy savings. Community Building Solutions has many different options for the school board to mull over.

Anderson’s report clarified the “Nebraska Department of Education has postponed any further work on health standards until after the pandemic and until a majority of the board brings the issue back to be explored.”

Anderson also provided a financial update that the current cash balance in the General Fund is a little over $2 million. In 2020 at this time, the balance was $971,289, and in 2019 the balance was at $188,057.

With 100% of the fiscal year completed, 65.74% of the budget was spent and 35.26% unspent.

The Jr/Sr High School Principal Report by Danielle Reader explained that the school will begin “WIN Time (Reteach/Enrich) next week. The first three weeks will be dedicated to math.”

A test was given to students on math concepts; 22 of the 7th-12th graders scored higher than 80%. “During the next three weeks, we will work with the remaining students to reteach them these skills concept and will retest again in October,” Reader said.

The total enrollment for 7-12 is 161 students.

Principal Jamie Soper’s Mary Lynch report shows current enrollment at 238, with 47 students enrolled in ELITE.

The board approved the budget for the district as well as the tax request resolution for the 2021-22 year.

They also approved the overnight trip to Indianapolis for the FFA Chapter from Oct. 27-30.

The next regular board meeting will be Oct. 11 at 6:30 p.m. at the Kimball County Transit Building.