The Waterloo School Board focused its meeting Monday night on the 2024 tax levy, with attention also turning toward a myriad of maintenance projects and various points of positivity in the district.

The meeting opened with a public hearing for the tax levy, with Waterloo Superintendent of Schools Brian Charron leading the discussion.

Charron noted the district is requesting a levy of $24,244,343 for 2024 – money which goes toward the school’s education and other funds for annual operations – which is an increase of 12.3 percent compared to the $21,588,545 that was received for 2023.

It is noteworthy that, as this percent increase exceeds 4.99 percent, the district was required to host the public hearing on the levy due to the Truth in Taxation Act.

Also part of the proposed tax levy is $4,853,617 for the district’s bond repayments and interest. This amount represents a 5.41 percent increase over what was received for 2023.

In total, the requested tax levy for Waterloo taxpayers stands at $29,097,960. Compared to the $26,192,850 that was received for last year, this represents an increase of 11.09 percent.

Referencing a handout available for those in attendance at the meeting, Charron spoke to the trends in the tax levy in the years between now and 2008.

He particularly pointed to how the district’s tax rate has been declining the past few years, with a rate of $4.35 in 2016. The rate for 2022 was $4.26, and it was $4.08 in 2023.

“Our tax rate has been dropping each year for the past seven years,” Charron said. “We do anticipate it going back up a little bit, but not as high as it was the previous year.”

Charron further spoke about how the district’s 2023 tax rate of $4.08 is in line with many other schools either in the area or of similar size, pointing namely to districts in Waterloo’s athletic conference including Bethalto with $4.59, Highland with $4.44, Triad with $4.72 and Mascoutah with $4.43.

He also explained how the district is not guaranteed to receive the amount of tax funds levied.

“I’ve joked with a few people that we could ask for $15 billion if we wanted to, and we’re not gonna get that,” Charron said. “There are limits in each one of our funds that the school district can get that are set by the state unless approved to be higher by taxpayers.”

As he discussed with the Republic-Times for an article on the proposed tax levy published Dec. 4, Charron also mentioned how voters in 2006 approved that the district be able to receive a tax rate of $2.19 for the education fund in specific.

Charron previously said the education fund received $2.08 last year, and the district seeks to get closer to the $2.19 approved in the past.

As for the reason for the increase in the tax levy, Charron cited increases in the cost of materials for the district as well as insurance and, perhaps most notably, educator salaries.

“All of those are expenses that are increasing for us every year, and our board is trying to remain committed to our faculty and staff so that our salaries can be competitive, and we can continue to draw the quality of employees that we champion here in our school district,” Charron said.

Waterloo School Board Vice President Neil Giffhorn asked Charron to provide an example of the impact the increase to the levy would have.

Charron said that, acknowledging variables not in the district’s control such as the county assessor’s work, a $300,000 home two years ago would have seen a decrease in taxes paid to the district of $180 for 2023. At worst, he continued, the 2024 tax levy request would bring the amount paid back up by $180.

Charron added the 11.09 percent increase to the tax levy specifically pertains to the additional amount being requested by the district. Each individual taxpayer would likely not see such an increase to their taxes paid to the district as new homeowners or businesses would be adding to the levy compared to the previous year.

Former board member Kim Ahne was also present at the meeting and approached the board to ask about the district’s bond payments.

Charron noted that, of last year’s tax rate, $0.70 of the $4.08 went toward the repayment of bonds which were primarily borrowed to pay for the current high school.

While, as Charron said, the district might have to engage in some small borrowing in the next few years, he was generally positive about the ongoing repayment and the state of current district projects, noting that when the bonds are fully paid of in the next six years or so, voters will be pleased to see that $0.70 dropped from the tax rate.

Tony Grasso III also spoke to the board during the levy hearing, once again suggesting the district sell its property and lease it back as he’s done at a number of previous board meetings.

Later in the meeting, the board voted unanimously to approve establishment of the 2024 tax levy request.

Read more on the school board meeting in next week’s issue of the Republic-Times.