Fayette County Schools Provide Taxpayers No Relief In Tough Economy
The spokesperson for the Kentucky School Board Association made a joke:
"Statewide, any increase has been far more a point of local contention and debate than in any year probably in the last decade," said Brad Hughes, spokesman for the Kentucky School Boards Association. "From a statewide perspective, there have been more people showing up at tax rate hearings than in any recent comparable year, according to the local news reports I have seen."
School boards often pass rate increases by unanimous votes. But Hughes said he's noticed many more split votes this year. He traces that to one central fact: "Absolutely, it's the economy," Hughes said.
Ok, it's not funny.
But even though the School Board Association recognizes the hardship Kentuckians face, the Fayette County School Board doesn't care.
The Fayette County Board of Education is considering a school tax-rate boost that would raise the district's revenues this year by the full 4 percent allowed by state law.
Why?
Statewide, public school districts -- particularly larger ones -- usually take the full 4-percent increase allowed by law because it's too hard to make up for the revenue loss in later years.
"Historically, that's what we've done," Wright said. "We have increasing inflationary costs that we're dealing with, and this kind of keeps us even with what we're trying to do."
Wouldn't want to pass up an opportunity for more revenue from the taxpayer, regardless of need...would we?
