Yes, it is “new” because we are asking for funds to be dedicated in a new way, but your millage rates will not increase beyond the current millages you will pay this year. This is NOT an increase in the tax rate. The proposal is to continue collecting a property millage that is already in place (from bonds that are being paid off) and use that money for other district needs. In short, you will pay the same property tax rate you pay now – it’s just that after the bond is paid each year, any millages not needed will go into teacher pay, school maintenance, and technology instead of rolling off.

The district has identified three critical needs:

• Employee Compensation: The far majority of the funding collected will go to give teachers and support staff a much-needed raise so we can attract and keep quality employees. Our salaries must stay competitive with other districts to maintain the excellent education our kids receive.
• Facility Repairs and Upgrades: to fix and update aging school buildings. Many of our facilities are 10-20 years old and require major maintenance (roofing, HVAC, security improvements) that may exceed what the annual budget can cover.
• Technology: to regularly update classroom technology (computers, tablets, software, networking) for students. Technology evolves quickly, and this funding will ensure our students, teachers, and staff have modern tools for learning.

Without this measure, there’s no dedicated funding for these needs, and we risk falling behind or shifting funds away from other programs or activities to focus on priority areas.

The tax election in November will ask for a 20-year term, but the School Board could potentially lower the millage rates each year as needed.  After that time, the public would need to vote again on the proposal if it is needed.

The ballot will have a proposition explaining the rededication of 24 mills (the exact rate currently levied for bonds) for the stated purposes (employee salaries, facilities, technology). It will mention the duration of the rededication and that it does not increase the millage rate. The wording can be a bit technical (as required by law), but essentially, it will ask if you support allowing the school board to use the existing mills for those purposes. We will provide a sample ballot text on our website once it is finalized.

If the measure fails, the current bond tax will expire as the bonds are paid off years from now, and taxpayers will eventually see a decrease in their property tax rate. However, the school district would lose future funding that would have to be cut or found elsewhere. The likely result is:

• Teachers/staff might only get very minimal raises (or possibly none in some years), making it harder to retain the best staff. Benefits may also be reduced due to rising costs.
• Some facilities projects may be deferred; small issues could grow into bigger, more expensive problems. The district might have to dip into emergency funds or cut programs to fix critical failures.
• Technology purchases may be limited; students might have to use outdated equipment longer and miss out on learning opportunities.

To continue to try to be competitive with employee pay and be good stewards of our facilities and budgets, programs, or other areas that may need to be reduced or cut to support priorities.

In short, saying “no” would provide a tax break in a few years, but at the potential cost of educational quality and potentially higher costs later (if large capital projects are needed).

If approved, the existing bond millage could continue without dropping off, and those tax proceeds would start going into a special fund for the three purposes, starting with the next year’s property taxes. The district would then implement plans to distribute that funding: for example, enacting salary increases (likely in phases or effective on a certain date), scheduling priority maintenance projects at schools, and setting up a technology upgrade schedule. The community would see the impact in the form of improved employee morale and recruitment, and retention of high-quality employees. The benefits would be seen/felt immediately with (more competitive pay), timely repairs, improved facilities, and new technology in classrooms. Essentially, it secures stable funding for these areas moving forward.

The proposal keeps the tax rate at the current level or lower.  The School Board would have the flexibility to roll millages back if additional funding were available in the future. For example, if a large industry moved to our area and substantial new taxes were realized, the School Board could roll millages back and provide taxpayers with a lower rate. So, approving this doesn’t give the district a blank check to raise taxes – it only allows use of the existing millage for specific purposes

Good schools benefit everyone in the community, not just those with children. Quality schools keep property values high, attract families and businesses to the area, and produce educated graduates who contribute positively to the community. Also, since this measure doesn’t raise taxes, you’re maintaining community assets (schools and an educated workforce) with no extra cost. Think of it as protecting your investment in Zachary. If the schools declined, it could negatively impact the whole city over time. This is about the overall health and progress of our community.

The ballot measure legally restricts the funds to the specific purposes listed (employee compensation, facilities, technology). By law, the school district must account for those funds and use them only for those categories. Additionally, the School Board participates in yearly audits that provide external transparency on the use of public funds. In addition, the school board can create policy expectations that require the district to use expected percentages of the tax money for the identified areas.

The community can also see results: for instance, announced pay raises, a list of maintenance projects completed, and technology purchases made. ZCSD has a track record of responsible financial stewardship. Voters can trust that the funds will go exactly where they are promised – the measure wouldn’t have community support if there were any question about that.

The district’s budget is already lean, directed mostly toward basic operations and instruction. Teacher salaries are currently funded through state allocations and existing local taxes, but those sources are not keeping pace with rising costs and competitive pay levels. The last average increase provided to the ZCSD from the state per student funding allocation (MFP) was in 2019. Major facility repairs are very expensive and can’t always be handled within the routine maintenance budget without having a funding source to prepare for long-term maintenance. We have pursued grants and state funds for technology and facility needs when possible, but those are not sufficient or reliable year to year. The stakeholder advisory groups looked at options and strongly recommended this approach. Essentially, without this rededicated tax, the district would likely have to either go without these improvements or come back in a few years asking for additional funds. The reallocation is the prudent path that avoids cuts and a bigger tax ask later.

Zachary has a tradition of providing students with opportunities in academics, arts, and athletics, and has worked hard NOT to make cuts in these areas (as many other districts have) because of the importance of these programs to our families and the community’s tremendous support and belief in these programs. Programs could be cut if this measure fails, so that we could provide funding to priority areas.

The ZCSD recently conducted a five-year demographic study (2025-2030) to assess the population impacts on the ZCSD. The study concluded that the student population of the ZCSD will remain steady and only deviate by about 100-150 students in the next five years. Potential overcrowding is not a concern at this time.

Our district maintains facilities and pays the salaries of our coaches.  All other resources come from fundraising, sponsorship, and income from ticket sales that athletic teams use to support their needs. Actually, we are one of only a few districts that don’t support athletics at the district level.