Highlands School District holds tax rate steady as budget is approved

Property owners in the Highlands School District won’t see a tax increase for next school year after the board approved its $54.5 million budget.

The plan holds the property tax rate steady at 25.13 mills.

The median household income for the district is about $60,000. The owner of a home assessed at $60,000 will again pay $1,507.

“Our district is really getting some well-needed maintenance and a refresh, and all of it was able to be done with our district being fiscally responsible and making sure we didn’t place burden on our taxpayers,” school board member Kristie Babinsack said.

Capital projects include $225,000 for lighting and audio systems in the high school auditorium. Bids for the project were advertised June 16.

Babinsack said the project is “greatly needed.”

Director of Business Affairs Paul Paradise’s overview of the budget shows projected revenue is about $52.3 million. The district will use about $2.2 million from its unassigned fund balance to close the deficit.

The district expects to bring in about $21.9 million in local revenue, which is down nearly 8% from $23.7 million in 2023-24.

Highlights of the spending include $35.3 million on salaries and benefits, which amounts to 65% of the budget. The figure is up from 2023 and 2024, when the district spent $29.5 million and $32.5 million, respectively, on salaries and benefits.

Other expenses in next year’s budget include $22,000 for balcony carpeting at the elementary school and $10,000 for office restructuring in the administrative wing at the high school.

The district has about 2,035 students enrolled — down from a 10-year high in 2016 of about 2,620.