RIVERSIDE

The levy tax rate for Highland Community Schools residents may drop nearly $2 per $1,000 of assessed value in Fiscal Year 2027.

The Highland School Board approved a proposed levy rate of 10.95554, during its special meeting Monday, and set a public hearing of 5 p.m. March 23.

The full tax proposal will be published in the March 5 edition of The News.

The current levy tax rate is 12.89597.

The tax rates are set per a complicated formula that includes district expenses and needs, assessed values, state money and other funds.

Public hearings on the FY27 school budgets were set for March 23 and April 13.

Bond Issue in Court

Oral arguments for the contested Highland Schools bond referendum that was passed by voters in November 2024 will be held in front of the State Supreme Court on March 26.

The case will be heard at the Drake University Law School in Des Moines.

The school district won a court decision in early 2025, but that decision was appealed to the State Supreme Court.

At issue is a $15 million bond that would be used for additions and improvements at Highland High School and Highland Elementary. The vote passed by a small margin, but a number of ballots in Ainsworth were given to residents who were not school district residents.

Summer Adventures

The response for Highland Summer Adventures, a new summer program for kids in grades 5 and below, was so large that registrations have been paused.

The program drew a response of more than 60, and district administrators are working on plans to have enough teachers and assistants. The program, which will be held in June and July at Highland Elementary School in Riverside, is being coordinated by Highland Elementary teacher Courtney Dietze.

Highland Summer Adventures will open June 1 and will operate Monday through Friday for two months. Staffers will include current Highland teachers and Highland High School students.

A fourth of registrations are coming from out-of-district students, Schools Superintendent Spencer Lueders told the School Board.

The program will run from 6:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and include academic and project-based learning in the mornings, and art, music, science and physical/sports activities in the afternoons.

Board Action

The Board approved Summer Learning and Summer Library programs that will be held at Highland Elementary in Riverside and the Ainsworth Elementary School building.

Next Meeting

The Board will hold its next formal meeting at 5 p.m. March 9.