USD 232 in De Soto is proposing a lower property tax rate for 2024 but that doesn’t necessarily mean the taxes for homeowners living in the district will be going down.
Julie Stucky, USD 232’s finance and business director, told the school board this month that these numbers are early projections, calling them “very rough, high” estimations.
Still, the district’s tentative 2024 budget calls for a slight decrease in USD 232’s property tax, or mill levy, rate.
The breakdown: How it could affect your tax bill
For 2024, USD 232 has proposed a preliminary property tax rate of 61.312 mills, a decrease of .36 mills.
The general fund part of the mill levy — which accounts for 20 mills — is set by the state.
Though USD 232 expects to lower its tax rate slightly, property values themselves across Johnson County have ballooned, going up an average of about 12.5% across the district’s four major cities — De Soto, Shawnee, Lenexa and Olathe.
The property tax rate, also called the mill levy rate, dictates how much a homeowner pays in taxes to the school district and other governmental entities based on their property’s assessed value.
In the cities the district pulls most of its students from, the average home value is $387,087.
To calculate what your actual tax bill to the district would be if this budget is approved, you’d multiply the value of your home by .115 (the residential assessment rate).
Then, you’d take that number, divide it by 1,000 and multiply the result by the proposed property tax rate of 61.312.
For the average home in the school district, that would mean $2,729.30 in property taxes owed to USD 232.
Here’s a city by city breakdown:
- $2,425 in De Soto
- $2,698 in Shawnee
- $3,100 in Lenexa
- $2,693 in Olathe
In comparison, the average amount last year was about $2,440.05 in property tax to the school district.
Remember: Your total property tax bill also includes rates set by other jurisdictions, including the county and cities. But levies paid to local school districts make up the biggest chunk of annual property taxes.
USD 232 proposes a $50M budget for 2024
- The school district is proposing a $49.9 million budget for 2024, which is made up primarily of property tax as well as some other revenue streams.
- That’s about $5 million more than the approved budget for 2023, a roughly 9% increase.
USD 232’s next budget isn’t a done deal
- There’s still time before the school board approves the 2024 budget.
- USD 232 staff will continue with more budget presentations in August and September.
- Budget adoption is expected at the September school board meeting.
- Other jurisdictions, including Johnson County and individual cities, are also working on their 2024 budgets, which means those property tax rates aren’t finalized yet either.
More USD 232 news: USD 232 in De Soto raises average teacher and staff pay 6% across the board
