LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Higher tax bills could be a reality for Jefferson County homeowners after the school board voted in favor of raising property taxes. In a 5 to 2 vote, the Jefferson County Board of Education approved a 7-cent property tax increase Thursday night to help keep the school district running.
What will that tax increase look like for families in Jefferson County? The tax rate would change from 73.6 to 80.6 cents, which would cost about $70 more per year (a little less than 20 cents a day) on a home valued at $100,000. The increase would be active for the 2020-21 fiscal year and would bring in an estimated gross revenue of $594 million to the school district.
What will that money go toward? JCPS has over $1 billion of unmet facility needs, including 32 buildings that could soon be deemed unsafe for students. Other plans for the budget include new schools, facility upgrades and renovations, raising teacher pay, and sending more money to struggling schools.
Here are all of Superintendent Dr. Marty Pollio’s recommendations:
Facility changes
- Two new middle schools in West Louisville ($64 million)
- One new high school in West Louisville ($75 million)
- Renovation of four new proposed magnet schools for state-of-the-art buildings (est. $68 million)
- Double the amount of school renovations per year (additional $50 million)
- Increase annual facility improvement budget ($12 million)
- Renovation of high school athletic facilities ($25 million)
Planning for the future
- Increase summer and extended learning opportunities for students
- Teacher pay increase
- Additional funds for Accelerated Improvement Schools (AIS), including hiring more support staff and smaller class sizes
“The beauty of this recommendation is that it is a community decision,” Superintendent Pollio said. “I believe with these improvements, we will begin to impact children in ways that have never been done in this community in the years to come.”
Two board members, Chris Brady and Linda Duncan, voted against the tax hike, citing the financial struggles many families are facing due to the coronavirus pandemic.
JCPS Board Vice Chairman Chris Kolb understood their concerns but said the district has been in this position for years and can no longer wait to act.
"I've heard people say, this is a tough time and it is. But you know what, the 65,000 kids in our schools who've been living in poverty have been dealing with tough times their whole lives, dealing with things tougher than we can even imagine in some cases. If we don't vote for this, we're turning our backs on these kids because times got tough,” Kolb said.
Kolb also said the district has missed nearly $300 million in cumulative revenue in previous years by not raising taxes.
The school board doesn’t have the final say, however. Thursday night’s decision can be overturned by voters. An online petition needs more than 35,000 signatures by July 11 to put the increase on the November ballot.
You can watch a full recording of the Jefferson County Board of Education meeting here.
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