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During a special tax hearing Friday, Sept. 25, the Jessamine County Board of Education voted not to increase tax rates.

Board Chair Steven Scrivner, Vice-Chair Denise Adams and members Amy Day, Debra

Hood and Bobby Welch voted unanimously to accept Superintendent Matt Moore’s

recommendation to keep the same rate at 69 cents per $100 of property value. This decision marks the second consecutive year that the board has voted to either decrease or leave the rate the same, following a drop in the 2019 tax rate from 69.3 to 69 cents.

Moore said that while property tax bills include amounts collected by other taxing entities, impacting the total amount owed by property owners, the portion of the bill that goes to the school district will remain the same as in 2019.

“The economic challenges

associated with the COVID-19 pandemic have stretched the finances of many families in our community,” Moore said.  “The Board of Education and I felt that this was not the right time to increase the tax rate.”

Moore said that while the district’s finances have also tightened because of

additional expenses related to COVID-19, the district remains committed to dedicating funds to expenditures that will reach and support students in the classroom.

“While we have purchased additional cleaning equipment and supplies, PPE, thermometers and other items related to our COVID-19 safety protocols, we are also continuing to focus on teacher:student ratios, increasing salaries to retain and attract high-quality staff and other measures that will directly impact student achievement,” he said.

Scrivner praised the work of district leaders to ensure that resources are utilized effectively.

“The Jessamine County Board of Education appreciates Superintendent Moore’s leadership and his team’s sense of fiscal responsibility,” Scrivner said. “Our community is so supportive of our students and district and we feel that this decision to leave the tax rate unchanged is one additional way that we, in turn, can support our community during this difficult time.”