Dear Manhattan Families,
It is that time of year when the district begins preparing the annual tax levy. The levy represents the amount the district requests from local taxpayers to fund the overall operation of our schools. Local revenues make up nearly 70% of our total district funding, with the remaining funds coming from state and federal sources.
We will present an estimated levy at next week’s Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, November 12th, with final approval scheduled for the December 10th meeting. The levy process and calculation of our final extension—the actual amount we receive—are complex and based on estimates, as the exact Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) from the county assessor’s office will not be available until March.
The levy functions in two parts: one for operational funds and one for debt service/bonds. Together, these determine the district’s total tax rate.
We are required to publish a Truth in Taxation notice and hold a public hearing prior to approving the levy in December. This notice outlines last year’s extension and what the district is requesting this year. Although it is presented as a proposed property tax increase, it often causes concern among taxpayers because the published figures can be misleading without full context.
Our estimated tax rate for this levy is 4.76. However, Manhattan School District 114 has committed to maintaining a 4.2552 tax rate, and we will continue to do so. To maintain this rate, the district will hold a special meeting in the spring to abate—or return—a portion of the bond levy to taxpayers, effectively reducing the rate from 4.76 to 4.2552.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions about the levy process or how the abatement impacts the overall tax rate and your property taxes.
Sincerely,
Dr. Damien Aherne
Superintendent of Schools