Three meetings were held Monday evening within 45 minutes at the Superior High School library.
Pink Card Meeting
The first cost Nuckolls County taxpayers approximately $1,300 b ecause of a change in Nebraska State Law.
Earlier this month property owners received bright pink cards from any Nebraska entity where a taxing subdivision proposed to increase property tax more than two percent. The cards announced a public hearing where those taxing subdivision were required to have a representative present the reasons for the tax increase.
Two patrons attended Monday’s meeting in Superior: Lily Peterson and Jocyelyn Schroyer. Others who attended the meeting were Marty Kobza, Superior Public School superintendent, Matt Sullivan, Superior Public School board president, Sharon Biltoft, school secretary, Carrie Miller, Nuckolls County clerk and her daughter and a representative of the press.
Supt. Kobza reviewed the schools’ tax asking with the following information:
The property tax request is $5,833,333. The total school district valuation is $515,240,841 which is an increase in accessed valuation of 2.8 percent.
The tax rate that would levy the same amount of property tax as last year’s when multiplied by the new total accessed valuation of property would be 1.081956 per $100. Superior’s proposed tax asking is 1.132163 per $100.
Superior Public Schools total overall operating budget is -7.83 percent from last year’s budget.
The Superior School District relies on state aid. This year state aid decreased $124,155 while the schools budget authority increased $150,456.
Budget authority increases are designed to address inflationary issues.
When the two are added together (decrease in state aid plus increased budge authority) the sum is $274,611.
Superior increase tax asking is $258,659 ($15,952 less than would be expected.)
Supt. Kobza urged those in attendance to talk to David Murman, their Nebraska senator, about real property tax relief. Advocate for a balance between property tax, sales tax and income tax.
“Nebraska is fifth in the nation for reliance of property tax for funding public schools,” Kobza said. “Hearings like this cost Nebraskans thousands of dollars this year.”
“Where is everybody?” Lily Peterson asked. “They must not care about property tax.”
Kobza replied, “Oh yes they do! But they would rather catch you at the coffee shop.”
Matt Sullivan smiled and nodded his head.
In response to another question, Miller gave an overview of how property tax is calculated in Nebraska and encouraged questions be directed to Susan Rogers, the Nuckolls County assessor.
The meeting lasted approximately 20 minutes.
Public Hearing
At 6:30 p.m., members of the Superior Board of Education gathered. All were present except for Brad Biltoft, who was officiating a junior volleyball game in the performance gymnasium.
Supt. Kobza reviewed the budget and said, “I think it is a fiscally responsible budget. The tax asking is less than eight years ago. We have roofed the building, moved funds from the qualified capital purpose fund and are asking $450,000 for the special building fund to make sure we can make payments.”
The school’s certified budget authority has grown more than a million dollars during the past eight years from $5,021,391 to $6,361,765. Each of the past years it has grown by approximately one percent.
State aid peaked last year at $1,127,531. It has varied dramatically over the past eight years. In 2016-17 the district received only $2,489. This coming year state aid is expected to be $1,003,378. State aid goes down as the district’s valuation goes up. District valuation is primarily affected by market land values in the Superior district.
The district’s valuation follows during the past eight years:
In 2015-16 valuation was $474,632,946. In rose to a high in 2016-17 to $581,932,886. Then continued to drop to its low in 2021-21 at $82,579,511. Last year it rose to $501,139,002 and this year it is $515,240,841.
One penny on the levy generates $51,525 this year. In 2015-16, one penny generated $57,463.29, while this year one penny on the levy generates $51,525. In 2020-21 one penny on the levy generated $48,357.
Student enrollment over the past eight years has remained relatively stable. In 2015-16 enrollment was 407, the next year it was 410. In 2017-18 enrollment was 416 followed by a peak of 417 in 2018-19. In 2219-20 enrollment was 414. In 2020-21 it was 411. Last year it was 415 and this year’s official enrollment has not been established, but will be similar. Preschool was added in 2019-20 and has impacted the enrollment total by approximately 30 students.
Grant money had contributed between $300,000 and $676,00 per each year between 2015-16 and 2020-21. Then the pandemic hit and Superior received $1,377,000 last year in grant funds. This year the school expects to receive $760,000 in grant funds. Supt. Kobza expects that amount to continue to decrease.
The total projected Superior Public School operating budget for the 2022-23 school year is $12,427,969. Property tax request for the general fund are $4,686,869. Bond fund tax requests are $540,404. Special building fund tax requests are $454,545 and tax request for the qualified capital purpose fund are $151,515.
The tax rate for the 2022-23 school year will be 1.132157 per $100 or accessed value.
Special Board Meeting
After the public hearing, a special Superior Public School board meeting opened and two action items passed unanimously. The proposed budget was approved and the tax asking were approved.
Supt. Kobza must present the budget to the state on Friday.
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