Atlantic School Board Holds Hearing on Proposed Tax Levy

(Atlantic) The Atlantic School Board held a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax levy Wednesday evening.

Last year the tax rate was $12.51727 per one thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The proposed property tax rate for FY 2026 is $12.53278. The proposed property tax increase supports ongoing school operations and quality education. It will help cover rising costs in staffing, insurance, and instructional resources, ensuring the long-term stability of the schools.

During the hearing, Barbara Stensvad said she significantly protested the tax increase last year and she is doing the same this year.

No action was taken on the proposed property tax rate Wednesday evening.

Following the hearing, the School Board held a special meeting and approved the following 2025-26 hires: Dani Johnson – Certified Teacher, Erin Dillon – Certified Teacher, and Logan Geredes – Certified Teacher.

The School Board then moved into a work session and held a lengthy discussion with SVPA Architects on a master plan/construction plans for the schools. A couple of items discussed included adding a field house at the high school and adding classroom space at Washington Elementary School. SVPA said if the Board decides to move forward with any projects, the goal would be to get this process wrapped up by the first part of June and that gives the Board some time if they wanted to plan on some sort of referendum in November of this year.