THE LOUISBURG USD 416 SCHOOL BOARD VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO APPROVE THE 2022-2023 BUDGET AS PRESENTED AT ITS SEPTEMBER MEETING, AFTER SEVERAL PATRONS SPOKE FOR AND AGAINST THE PROPOSED BUDGET DURING A REVENUE NEUTRAL HEARING. THE BOARD APPROVED A BUDGET WITH AN OVERALL MILL RATE OF 49.5 MILLS, A ONE MILL DECREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THE DISTRICT’S MILL RATE OF 49.5 MILLS IS THE LOWEST IN THE FRONTIER LEAGUE AND MIAMI COUNTY. IT’S ALSO LOWER THAN NEIGHBORING DISTRICTS BLUE VALLEY, OLATHE AND GARDNER. THE DISTRICT’S MILL LEVY HAS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY IN THE PAST DECADE. THE MILL RATE AVERAGED 65.323 MILLS BETWEEN 2012 AND 2020.
ACCORDING TO SUPERINTENDENT BRIAN BIERMANN, ON AVERAGE, HOMEOWNERS ARE PAYING LESS PROPERTY TAXES THAN THEY DID IN 2019-2020, EVEN WITH AN INCREASE IN THE DISTRICT’S ASSESSED PROPERTY VALUATION. THE BUDGET EXCEEDS THE REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE, BUT IT WAS NOTED THAT MANY SCHOOLS EXCEEDED THEIR REVENUE NEUTRAL RATE THIS YEAR, INCLUDING OSAWATOMIE AND PAOLA.
