Public Hearing Set for Annual Property Tax Levy Review

The Fairfield Community School District Board of Directors will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 24, to review the proposed property tax levy for the 2025-26 school year.

The hearing will take place in the A.C.T. Center Board Room (403 S. 20th Street) at 6:30 pm.

The proposed levy includes a rate increase. Currently, FCSD’s levy rate is the second-lowest among the 10 schools in the state with comparable enrollment. The district also has the second-lowest tax rate among the six schools in the Southeast Conference.

The board remains sensitive to the needs of taxpayers and has worked to keep the rate as low as possible. However, the board believes raising the rate is necessary to address aging facilities that require ongoing maintenance and rising insurance costs, while ensuring the district has enough cash flow to cover expenses for things like a special education deficit.

FCSD has little control over the costs for the aforementioned items, and the state legislature’s proposed budget of 2.0% State Supplemental Aid (SSA) is below the rate of inflation and insufficient to support the district’s ongoing needs.

Additionally, the state of Iowa is mandating that FCSD use a 10% increase in assessed valuation when calculating the levy. Although the district does not anticipate that level of increase in actual valuation, the board must comply with the mandate when setting the levy rate.

Community members are invited to attend and provide feedback on the proposed levy. Public comments may be shared verbally or in writing during the hearing. The proposed property tax levy will be available for review in advance at the District Administrative Offices, and a copy will also be mailed to every residence in the district.

To view the proposed property tax levy, visit https://www.fairfieldsfuture.org/. Click on the orange button on the front page that is labeled “Tax Levy Public Hearing Info.”