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Max levy accepted as H-BC School Board collects less tax money locally

Subhead
Also adopts new two-year teacher contracts
By
Mavis Fodness

Hills-Beaver Creek School District will collect less money from property taxes from district residents in 2022 after local school board members adopted the maximum levy amount allowed by the state at their Sept. 27 meeting.
Overall, the H-BC levy will drop 2.61 percent or $35,726 in 2022 if board members accept the maximum levy amount in December.
Locally property owners will contribute $1.33 million to the district’s $4.8 million 2021-22 budget.
Superintendent Todd Holthaus explained the decrease in the levy is due to the district’s refinancing of debt, which saved $9,919 in 2022.
The local levy in 2022 will contribute $660,759 to the general fund, a decrease of $26,650 or 3.88 percent. The community service fund will see a $842 increase (2.56 percent) in 2022.
A public Truth in Taxation and budget hearing is scheduled for 8 p.m. Monday, Dec. 13.
 
Enrollment is down
Student enrollment is down at H-BC elementary and secondary schools for the 2021-22 school year.
Superintendent Holthaus said the decrease of 20 students from last year to 360 this school year was expected.
“We knew our numbers would be down because of the ins and outs,” he said.
The district had 33 seniors graduate in the spring of 2021 and 19 kindergarten students started this fall.
 
Teachers’ contracts signed
The Hills-Beaver Creek teachers union and the H-BC School Board recently signed a new two-year contract that increases the licensed staff salaries.
For 2021-22, teachers will receive an average increase of 3.5 percent or $1,850. They will also receive an additional $325 toward health insurance.
For the second year of the contract, 2022-2023, each teacher will receive a flat $1,500 increase and another $325 toward health insurance.
Board chairman and personnel committee members Arlyn Gehrke and Tami Rauk told board members that an additional personal day was added to the teachers’ contracts.
Personal days increased from two per school year to three. If not used, personal days can also be rolled to the following school year or cashed in for $175.
Rauk added the rollover of personal days is limited to four in one year.

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