Property owners are receiving taxable valuation notices from the Lincoln County Assessor, heralding the start of protest season, as well as budget time for schools, city and county government that set the tax calls.

On Thursday, the North Platte Public School Board held a two-hour meeting to discuss its budget proposal-in-progress.

The session was also the first opportunity for the entire board to meet the incoming Finance Director Dr. Damon McDonald. Stuart Simpson, the current finance director, is retiring at the end of June.

Simpson presented the board with a preliminary 2025-26 budget, offering a financial roadmap to advance the district’s strategic goals while adapting to the realities of state and local funding.

Simpson emphasized that the budget is a tool to align resources with the district’s mission, aiming to provide high-quality learning experiences and support for all students.

The proposed budget is fluid because the preliminary valuations for the district will not be released until June 15. Simpson based revenues on a conservative 2% increase in the total tax valuations in the school district. In 2024, valuations increased by 8.64%, and in 2023, they rose by 10.02%, reflecting overall inflation during those years.

The budget projects total expenditures of $66.3 million, with $54 million allocated to the General Fund, the primary source of funding for operations. This would be a very slight increase from last year’s $66.2 million budget.

Supt. Todd Rhodes said he and Simpson trimmed costs across the board, except for the cost of salaries, insurance, and energy.

The district’s General Fund spending is projected to grow by 2.3%, compared to the previous year.

Key cost increases include a 2.95% salary increase for certified teachers, under the existing master agreement, a 50 cent per hour wage bump for paraprofessionals to meet federal requirements, and a 1% raise for administrators.

Substitute teachers will continue to be paid $210 per day.

The district plans a significant investment in curriculum upgrades, allocating more than $1.6 million — or about 3.24% of the General Fund — to adopt a new K–12 science curriculum. The new curriculum is aligned with recently updated state standards.

Simpson compared the investment to “research and development” in the private sector, emphasizing its importance for improvements in instruction.

Board President Emily Garrick voiced concerns about the cost, noting that students don’t even receive traditional textbooks.

“For such a large amount, what is our return on the investment?” she asked.

Lyndsey Douglas, Director of Elementary Teaching and Learning, said the bulk of the cost comes from a subscription to the curriculum platform. The platform includes digital lessons, printable worksheets, and professional development for teachers.

Simpson said the district will likely receive $9.1 million in state aid for the 2025-26 fiscal year, a slight decrease from the current year’s $9.36 million.

Local property taxes will fund the bulk of the district’s financial needs, with a projected $29.8 million collected for the General Fund, Special Building Fund, and Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund (QCPUF).

The total levy rate is expected to rise slightly to $0.964 per $100 of property value.

Simpson said the district can ask for as much as $31.9 million in property taxes without triggering a mandatory joint public hearing with taxpayers and other local government agencies.

The proposed budget requests $31.3 million, based on the projected 2% increase in property valuations. If valuations rise more than expected, both the allowable and requested amounts could increase accordingly.

Rhodes recommended that the board consider reallocating a portion of the proceeds from the $450,000 sale of Osgood Elementary. The money is currently in the Qualified Capital Purpose Undertaking Fund (QCPUF). Rhodes suggested moving it into cash reserves.

He said state law allows up to 25% of General Fund expenditures to be budgeted for reserves; the district is currently at 16.8% of budgeted expenses, or about $4.6 million.

Garrick expressed support for transferring $400,000 from the QCPUF into reserves, and potentially moving an additional $600,000, if property valuations are higher than the projected 2% increase. She noted that, depending on final valuation figures, the district could both increase reserves by $1 million and also lower the levy.

The board is expected to finalize the budget in late June, at the “Committee of the Whole” meeting. The board will hold a budget and tax request public hearing on Thursday, Aug. 28, at 5:30 p.m. during the Committee of the Whole meeting.

The final budget is subject to adjustment and must be approved before Sept. 30.

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