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From staff reports

The Jessamine County Board of Education held a tax hearing and special-called meeting on Thursday, Aug. 22, to set the school tax rate for the 2019 tax bill.
Board Chair, Steven Scrivner, Vice-Chair, Denise Adams, and members Debra Hood and Bobby Welch voted unanimously to take the compensating rate of plus 4 percent, which will reduce the rate from 69.3 to 69 cents per $100 of property value.
In a unique year, due to the amount of new assessments and growth in the county, the opportunity was presented to lower property owners’ tax bills, while increasing revenue for the school district.
The new rate of 69 cents will create a tax savings of $3 for every $100,000 of home value and will increase revenue to Jessamine County Schools by approximately $1,205,000.
Supt. Matt Moore said, “Our Board of Education and our community as a whole are incredibly supportive.  I’m very pleased that we were able to take action to create savings for property owners, while still generating the additional revenue needed to address our district priorities.  Safety is paramount, teacher/student ratio is an important factor in our ability to meet individual student learning needs, and the capacity to retain and attract high-quality staff is key to our success.  The best investment that our community can make is in our young people and we take this responsibility very seriously. I’m excited about our students’ futures as well as about what’s in store for our community.”
The additional funds will be utilized to address teacher/student ratios in JCS classrooms, implement additional school safety measures, increase salaries for certified and classified staff, and address needs related to the high rate of growth of the district, increasing by an average of 100 students per year.
Jessamine County Board of Education Chair Steven Scrivner praised the work of district leaders to ensure that resources are utilized effectively, adding, “The Jessamine County Board of Education values the importance of fiscal responsibility and carefully weighs all of the factors involved when considering the tax rate.
This additional revenue will help to ensure that students continue to benefit from more personalized learning experiences and that Jessamine County Schools salaries remain competitive in our region.
The board is very appreciative of Superintendent Moore’s leadership and our district’s good stewardship of taxpayer dollars.”