North Callaway approves school tax rate

The North Callaway board of education met Thursday evening in the North Callaway High School media center to vote on various items including the 2019-20 school tax rate. The vote to keep the tax rate the same as the previous school year passed unanimously.
The North Callaway board of education met Thursday evening in the North Callaway High School media center to vote on various items including the 2019-20 school tax rate. The vote to keep the tax rate the same as the previous school year passed unanimously.

School tax levy rates will remain the same for another year in the North Callaway R-1 School District.

At Thursday evening's meeting at North Callaway High School, the Board of Education unanimously voted to keep its school tax rate unchanged. Kellie Chapin, North Callaway School District's business manager, presented the board with the proposed tax rate after months of putting it together.

The tax rate for the 2019-20 school year features a slight increase taxes on the district's debt services but a slight decrease in taxes toward the district's incidental costs. The total figure is $4.66 per $100, the exact same as the 2018-19 school year.

There were no public comments made during the tax rate hearing.

"We're very happy to keep our taxes at exactly the same rate," Chapin said.

Chapin said throughout the summer she has been working with the district's financial advisors at L.J. Hart & Company to come up with the figures for the annual tax rate hearing. She sent the numbers to the state auditor's office before the presentation.

"I don't want to hear the words uttered 'We're going to see an increase in our taxes,'" board member Sandy Lacy said.

Additionally during the meeting, former board member Scott Starkey was appointed to the school board by President Regan Love to serve through the remainder of the school year. Starkey was appointed to fill the vacancy of David Isaacks, who has recently stepped down from the board. The appointment was approved unanimously.

"Mr. Isaacks worked at the hospital in Columbia, but they have transferred him out somewhere in Kansas, so he has had to step down from his position," Love said.

The board also unanimously voted to raise adult breakfast and lunch prices throughout the district. The prices for adult breakfast will be raised to $2.70, and the prices for adult lunch will be raised to $3.50 for the 2019-20 school year.