11/22/2017
TAXES IN OUR DISTRICT: A letter from the Superintendent
Dear Parent and/or Guardian the following message is from Elder Grove Schools:
Parents,
You are correct that the majority of your taxes currently are going to the schools. For property owners in Elder Grove District currently:
• 39% goes to the local Districts (Elder Grove Elementary and Billings High School),
• 10% goes to the County for School Retirement and Transportation,
• 20% goes to the State for University, Vo-Tech Schools and School Equalization,
• 30% goes to Yellowstone County, and
• 1% goes to Big Sky Economic Development.
Looking at your 39% allocation for Elder Grove School and Billings High School about 67% goes to Elder Grove and 33% Billings HS (this is based on mill allocation, which mills total 199.73 – broken down 133.1 Elder Grove and 66.63 Billings HS. So really only 26.13% is going to Elder Grove School. Elder Grove School is operating at 80% of its maximum budget whereas Billings Elementary School district is operating at 97% of its maximum budget. What this means is the tax payers at Elder Grove are paying $4,287.40 for every elementary student and $5,477.60 for every middle school student. In SD #2 the tax payers are paying $5,187.56 per elementary student and $6,641.59 per middle school and high school student. So, the tax payers in Elder Grove’s district are paying a lot less per student because we budget conservatively and do not ask voters to fund our district to the maximum allowable budget.
The amount that goes to the County for teacher retirement is determined by the State and we do not have a choice as to how much is taken out. The state determines this amount and makes sure that the Teacher Retirement System is healthy.
What really hurts Elder Grove’s tax payers is lack of commercial properties in our district. Districts like Lockwood, Elysian, Billings and Laurel have major taxpayers like the refineries and large commercial and industrial properties to help diversity the tax base. What this means is the bulk of our taxes are currently paid by individual homeowners. As more residents move to our District, then more businesses will also move in and the burden will continue to decrease as new houses are constructed and businesses come into the district. To keep current property values strong in our District, we need a strong school to continue to make our area one of the more attractive areas to live in Yellowstone County because favorable schools are proven to help keep property values strong.
Justin Klebe
Superintendent
