September 28, 2026 at 6:00 PM - Board of Education Special Meeting
| Regular Board | |
| Attendance Taken on 9/28/2026 at 5:55 PM | |
| Lisa Brass | Present |
| Matt Dalrymple | Present |
| Kyle Fornoff | Present |
| Becky Jobman | Present |
| Ryan Sukraw | Present |
| Kelly Terrell | Present |
| Present: 6, Absent: 0 | |
| Minutes | |
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1. Call to Order & Pledge of Allegiance
Rationale:
Mission Statement: A copy of the open meetings law is posted on the wall of the Board Room and is available to the public. |
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2. Approve the Agenda
Rationale:
The Board reserves the right to rearrange the order of items as needed.
Action(s):
No Action(s) have been added to this Agenda Item.
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3. Hearings
Rationale:
Nebraska School Districts are required to have annual hearings for each of the following areas: Budget (September) Tax Request (September) Student Fees Policy (June) Parental Involvement Policy (June)
Other Hearings may be scheduled as needed. |
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3.1. Declare the Hearing Open
Discussion:
President Fornoff declared the hearing open at 6:01 p.m.
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3.2. 2026-2027 Budget Hearing
Rationale:
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Discussion:
President Fornoff turned the discussion over to Dr. Jonas to provide an overview of the school district's proposed budget and tax request. Dr. Jonas provided highlights and emphasized the importance of aligning budget discussions with the district's strategic plan and mission statement. Dr. Jonas recognized the article published in the newspaper the previous week, which captured several of the frequent questions she has received surrounding the proposed tax request. She emphasized that one important piece that was not included, however, was the human impact of these decisions. She noted that she feels it is important for our community to know that the Board of Education and she take that impact very seriously. They understand that every tax dollar represents a real cost to community members and do not take that responsibility lightly. Dr. Jonas noted that while there has been some tax relief for agricultural land, that does not mean every taxpayer has experienced a reduction in their overall tax burden. At the same time, input costs for agriculture continue to rise, meaning that when a tax increase does occur, it is another expense that agricultural producers must account for. The same is true for our local businesses and families. Whether it is a school budget, a business budget, an agricultural budget, or a household budget, increasing expenses are never easy. Every one of us is making difficult decisions about where our dollars go and what we can afford. We recognize that a school tax request is part of those decisions for our community members. That is why these decisions are not made lightly. Our Board and administration consider not only what our schools need, but also the impact those needs have on the people and families we serve. We believe both pieces of that conversation are important as our community considers the request. Dr. Jonas then discussed the school district's budget process and clarified the difference between the published budget ($27 million) and the actual budget, which is closer to $17 million. She explained that property taxes (48%) and state support in the form of property tax credits, SPED reimbursement, and State Aid (43%) are the main revenue sources, whereas wages and benefits (81%) are the primary expense category. Dr. Jonas also addressed the five-year levy trend, noting that while the bond decreased and QCPUF was added, the overall levy has decreased from $1.13 five years ago to $0.97 this year in response to increasing property valuations. Dr. Jonas then presented property tax data showing valuation increases across different categories, with residential up 75%, commercial up 50%, ag improvements and farm sites nearly doubled, and ag land valuations up 13%. She then compared those rates with the increase in property taxes, up 31%, 11%, and 39%, respectively, with ag land seeing, on average, a decrease of 20% in property taxes over the past ten years. She explained that property tax credits are functioning as intended to provide some relief but noted that relief is not always felt uniformly as a function of the assessment process. She also clarified that the actual payment increases are lower than what the pink postcards indicate due to the property tax credit not being reflected on those postcards. Dr. Jonas noted that even though property tax relief has done as it was intended, the impact of an increased tax request is very real and felt by every taxpayer in our community. She noted that the district works hard to keep its overall tax request below that of an inflation average, with the district's total tax request having increased 27% since 2017-2018 while inflation has increased 34%. This year's tax request includes about $360,000 in increased wages and benefits and additional dollars in the special building fund to support continued building maintenance needs. Dr. Jonas then captured receipts by category type and highlighted the overall budget and tax request as published.
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3.3. Public Comment
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3.3.1. Public Participation
Rationale:
Board Policy 2009 - Opportunity for Public Expression. PUBLIC PARTICIPATION INSTRUCTIONS FOR MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC WHO WISH TO SPEAK: This is the portion of the meeting when members of the public may speak to the board about matters of public concern.
Discussion:
The following attendees addressed the Board of Education:
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3.4. Declare hearing closed.
Discussion:
Hearing closed at 6:51
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4. Action Items
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4.1. Consider the adoption of the 2026-2027 Budget through Board Resolution.
Rationale:
Adoption of Board Resolution 9-26-3 sets the budget for District #20 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Discussion:
Board Resolution 9-26-3 (signed copy)
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4.2. Consider the adoption of Board Resolution 9-26-4 to set the property tax request for 2026-2027.
Rationale:
Adoption of Board Resolution 9-26-4 sets the tax request for District #20 for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.
Discussion:
Board Resolution 9-26-4 (signed copy)
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5. Next Meeting
Rationale:
Monday, October 12th @ 6 p.m.
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6. Adjournment
Discussion:
Motion to adjourn passed with a motion by Lisa Brass and a second by Kelly Terrell.
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