Better in Benton:  Making Cents of Our School

FAQ’s

How does Benton Community School Corporation impact my property taxes?

Benton Community School Corporation is committed to managing taxpayer dollars responsibly. We are proud to share that our tax rate is lower than the State average, even when including the referendum tax rate. This reflects our ongoing efforts to be prudent and efficient. 

We are committed to maintaining the current tax rate and ensuring it remains stable. When we undertake projects and incur debt, we will do so without raising our tax rate. Allowing the tax rate to lower when debt comes off is not a prudent way to operate, as maintaining our facilities is important. We will be strategic in the timing of projects and the debt we incur. 

It's important to note that many homeowners and landowners are experiencing higher property taxes due to rapidly increasing assessed values on their homes, not because of increased spending by the school district. Additionally, Senate Bill 1 will have an effect on the tax rate, but again, this change is not due to the actions of the schools.

Why does Benton Community School Corporation need a referendum?

When the state implemented property tax cap legislation, it significantly decreased funding for many schools, including Benton Community School Corporation. The state funding formula has also not kept pace with inflation, making it increasingly difficult to maintain programming year-over-year. Benton Community School Corporation must now rely on referendum funds to continue providing a variety of programs and services to meet the diverse needs of our students.  This includes reducing class sizes, recruiting and retaining strong educators during a teacher shortage, providing School Resource Officers and safety equipment, supporting students’ increasing mental health needs, and offering exceptional career and extracurricular opportunities.

Specifically, we use referendum money to fund:

• Additional counselors and Student Support Coordinators
• School Resource Officers
• Dual Credit programs
• Permanent Substitute teachers
• Special Education Administration Support
• Tutors
• Jump Start Kindergarten
• Classroom Aides
• Little Prairie Preschool

What is Benton Community School Corporation doing to cut costs?

As a district, we are committed to managing resources effectively by regularly aligning staffing with enrollment. While rural school enrollment is declining, we address this by not hiring without thoroughly considering how to absorb the position. It is important to note that although enrollment has declined, the needs of students have not, so enrollment doesn't necessarily drive all staffing decisions.

We also regularly assess our service agreements and contracts, utilizing 3-5 year cycles to review services like school liability insurance, architect contracts, and bank depository agreements to ensure we secure the best rates.

Additionally, we continuously work to streamline staffing and services and negotiate savings in our contractual dealings with vendors. It’s important to remember that, unlike a business, we cannot: (1) raise prices when costs increase, (2) stop offering services when they are expensive, and (3) easily move money from one area to another to meet needs.