The Northwestern School Board moved a $1.5 million bond project forward at its March meeting.
The bond would allow the school district to purchase new iPads for students as its lease on current devices is set to expire. The purchase will be financed via a general obligation bond and be paid off over the next four years.
This would be additional debt on Northwestern’s books. It is expected to increase the tax rate.
For a home valued at $150,000, an owner would pay an additional $30.43 per year or $2.54 per month. For a $200,000 home the yearly increase is $46.62.
Despite the increase, Northwestern will still have the lowest tax rate among the county schools, according to Camden Parkhurst, Northwestern’s director of finance.
Historically, new devices have been paid for by student fees, however a 2023 law prevents this.
Textbooks and curricular materials are free to parents. Schools cannot charge for them. Curricular materials can be thought of items students need for class, like electronic devices, as well as other things that are necessary.
The state set aside money to cover these costs, however the amount is not enough. School districts are on the hook to cover what state allocation does not. For some schools, this is tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of dollars.
Some schools have dipped into their rainy day accounts to cover the shortfall. There are concerns about financing textbooks and curricular materials long term, especially as the state mulls property tax cuts and education funding does not keep up with inflation.
Northwestern’s bond allows the cost of the devices to be spread out over years instead of taking a more significant hit to this year’s budget.
A little more than $1 million of the bond will go toward iPads. About $375,000, possibly more, is reserved for facility improvements.
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