STAFF REPORT
Glasgow News 1
Caverna Independent Schools will revisit its property tax rate Thursday, more than a month after a divided Board of Education agreed to consider a rate that would generate a four-percent increase in property tax revenue.
Thursday’s hearing follows an August meeting where board members considered several tax options before moving forward with a proposed rate of 74 cents per $100 of assessed value. The rate would generate approximately $3.1 million in property tax revenue, compared with roughly $3 million under the 71.2-cent compensating rate.
The compensating rate was favored by members of the public who addressed the board during the August meeting, with speakers generally urging the district to avoid increasing the tax burden on property owners.
Board members were initially divided over which rate to pursue. Gina Lyon moved to propose the four-percent increase, with Chairwoman Jennifer Briggs seconding the motion, while Wayne Hatcher and Allison Dennison initially opposed it.
Lyon and Briggs, however, framed their support for proposing the higher rate as a way of keeping the district’s options open rather than a commitment to adopting it. Their reasoning amounted to preparing for a more difficult financial picture while leaving the board free to adopt a lower rate if circumstances allowed. Following additional discussion, the board agreed to move the 74-cent rate forward for public consideration.
Superintendent Amanda Abell said the additional step in the process resulted from new guidance from the Kentucky Department of Education aimed at providing greater transparency before school districts adopt their tax rates.
“We got new guidelines from KDE to help districts be more transparent, so instead of having one board meeting and the board setting the rate at that one meeting, KDE is telling us that you need to have one more meeting where the board discusses it and then they make a motion saying this is what we might do,” Abell said during the August meeting. “Tonight, what the board has to decide is what we are considering.”
The district also outlined several financial pressures during the August discussion, including employee raises, declining enrollment and debt payments associated with district construction projects.
Abell said the district was expecting an enrollment decline of 112 students, which would affect state SEEK funding, while the district is also preparing for a bond payment approaching $500,000.
The 74-cent rate proposed in August is not the board’s final tax rate. Thursday’s public hearing provides residents another opportunity to comment before board members consider formally setting the FY 2026-27 rates during the regular meeting.
Taxes are not the only financial matter on Thursday’s agenda. Board members are also scheduled to consider the district’s working budget for FY 2026-27 and the purchase of a new school bus.
Other items include approval of Caverna Independent Schools’ Alternative Student Transportation Plan, local indicators of quality and their timeline, and contracts for vision impairment and deaf and hard-of-hearing services.
The tax hearing begins at 4 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 10, at the Caverna Central Office in Cave City. The regular Board of Education meeting is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m
