The Lawrence school board on Monday will hold hearings to allow members of the public to comment on the district’s proposed 2026-27 budget that would increase property taxes, despite a slight decrease in the district’s overall tax rate.
The proposed 52.204 mill levy is 0.141 mills lower than the district’s 2025-26 levy of 52.345 mills. But assessed property valuations have increased, so the district is still going to exceed its revenue neutral rate — the rate that would generate the same total amount of property tax revenue as the year prior.
The revenue neutral rate was codified into state law by the Kansas Legislature in 2021. It creates additional steps for any taxing entity that does not lower its property tax rates enough to offset increased property valuations. Governments already held public hearings on their proposed budgets, but now they hold two formal public hearings if their revenue is going to increase by 1 cent over the previous year.
The median sale price of a home in Lawrence over the past two years was $325,000, according to a recently completed housing study. The owner of a home valued at $325,000 would owe the school district about $1,779 in property taxes under the proposed budget.
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The school board will hold hearings on the intent to exceed the revenue neutral rate, and on the budget as a whole.
Property owners also pay taxes to the county, city and state. In Lawrence, property taxes break down to about 41% to Lawrence Public Schools, 32% to the county, 26% to the city and 1% to the state.
In other business, the board will hear a report on graduation rates and postsecondary success. No report was attached to the meeting agenda as of Saturday afternoon.
The public hearings are set to begin at the start of the board’s meeting at 6 p.m. Monday, Sept. 14 at district offices, 110 McDonald Drive. Board members will then move into their usual updates and commentary ahead of the regular meeting agenda.
No general public comment period is listed on the meeting agenda. This meeting will be the 18th in a row without general public comment on the agenda, and the board hasn’t heard public comment since Nov. 17.
School board President Bob Byers said during the July 13 meeting that he would like to revisit possibly bringing public comment back to the agendas. He said during the board’s last meeting on Aug. 24 that he values public input and wants to bring public comment back for agenda items at first, but that the policy committee and district staff must first work through necessary policy and procedural changes.
Meetings are open to the public, livestreamed on the district’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@USD497, and broadcast on Midco channel 26.
See the full meeting agenda at this link. See ways to contact the school board at lawrencekstimes.com/contact-usd497bd.
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This post is by the Lawrence Times news team.
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Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
Jacob Rice / Lawrence Times
