RIVERSIDE

The property tax levy for residents of Highland Community Schools in Fiscal Year 2026 will be 12.93299, or about $12.93 for each $1,000 of assessed property.

The question is, will the levy stay at that rate?

The rate includes money for a $15 million bond that was approved last November by voters. However, the vote is under appeal at the district court level because some of the ballots were incorrectly given to Washington County voters who don’t live in the school district.

If the schools eventually lose the court case, which could last for months, the levy rate would be lowered and money would be refunded to taxpayers by Washington County.

The school’s levy is 2 cents lower than the FY25 rate. The district is in the final months of paying off a 2019 bond referendum.

The debt service levy rate (bond) is 2.7.

The levy rate will allow the district to collect $4.7 million for a proposed spending budget of $11.9 million. Another $3.9 million in revenue will come from the state and $290,000 from federal aid among other sources of income.

A public hearing on the tax levy will be held at 5 p.m. March 24, after which the School Board can approve the tax rate.

Another public hearing, on the overall budget, is scheduled for April 14.

Highland & WACO

The superintendent sharing agreement between Highland and WACO Schools will change, beginning with the 2025-26 school year.

The Highland School Board approved a new three-year 28E agreement with WACO at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday. But this time, the agreement is changing from a 75-25% sharing agreement to 50-50.

Both districts will equally share the annual base salary of $160,000 that has been agreed to by incoming superintendent Spencer Lueders. The entire annual package of salary and benefits is expected to approach or surpass $200,000.

Nate Robinson, Board President, told The News he is supportive of the new agreement although he said it could be adjusted after each year of the agreement. The Board voted unanimously in favor.

Current Superintendent Ken Crawford normally spends about one day at WACO and the rest of his time at Highland. That time sharing is expected to change when Lueders arrives to start the new 28E agreement.

Supers Meeting

Lueders, the new schools superintendent, visited with Crawford, the retiring superintendent, this week and they intend to meet again in early April.

“We’ve had some good conversations,” Crawford said.

Lueders, who is principal at Central DeWitt Intermediate School, begins work July 1 at Highland and WACO. He is expected to be invited to the Board’s June formal session.

New Board

Aaron Friederich, a Vice President at GreenState Credit Union and a volunteer assistant football coach at Highland, joined the Board for the first time Monday after being appointed to a vacant seat in late February.

He was welcomed by Board Vice President Dan Ruth and others.

Friederich, who lives in District 3 in the northern portion of the school district and replaced Monica Jepson, plans to continue as assistant football coach since it is a volunteer unpaid position.

Friederich was assigned to Jepson’s spot on the Financial & Personnel Committee.

WCRF Grant

The Board voted to apply for a Washington County Riverboat Foundation grant of $13,113 for the creation of a makerspace classroom at the Secondary School building. The space would be used for a number of creative studios, including podcast, graphic design, photography and video recording.

The district will finance the other half of the $26,996 project.

Board Action

The Board awarded the 2025 lawn care contract to Colbert Lawn Care for $15,550.

The Board approved resolutions for a 2025-26 levy tax budget guarantee and the issuance of up to $15 million in bonds through the November 2024 bond referendum.

The Board approved the appointments of Kylie Davis, Elementary Grade 2 teacher; and Jenna Dotson and Chelsea Nichols, Elementary associates.

The Board approved job descriptions for Nurse and Assistant Varsity Coach.

The Board approved a number of policy updates.

Next Meeting

The board will hold its next formal meeting at 5 p.m. April 14. A work session and public hearing was scheduled for March 24.