This story was written by Lia Salvatierra, our new Education Reporter. Find more of Lia’s reporting here. Do you have an NKY education story? Email lsalvatierra@linknky.com.
Property owners within the Beechwood Independent Schools district may see changes to their property tax rates.
The goal is to generate more local revenue for teacher salaries, which rank among the lowest in the region.
Beechwood’s board of education voted to propose new rates at an Aug. 17 regular meeting.
Under new state rules, districts must propose and advertise rates for two weeks before the board can officially adopt them at a public hearing.
The proposed rate increase would generate 4% more property tax revenue than last year, based on the state’s assessment of property values in the district.
A district’s property value assessment also affects how much money it receives from the state.
Under the state’s school funding formula, higher property values reduce state funding and lower property values increase state funding. Other factors like attendance also play into the formula and determine a district’s final share of state funding.
Beechwood is proposing raising only the tax rate for real property, one of two types of property taxes. Real property includes land and its associated structures and property rights.
The proposal includes raising that rate to 84.9 from the 2025-26 rate of 82.5. It also proposes lowering the other property tax rate for personal property to 90 from the 2025-26 rate of 91.4.
Personal property includes items used for business or commerce, including inventory, raw materials and office supplies.
The proposed rates translate to $849 in revenue for every $100,000 in real property and $900 in revenue for every $100,000 in personal property.
Beechwood Superintendent Justin Kaiser told the board the majority of the 4% projected revenue bump would go toward raising teacher salaries within the district.
A study Kaiser provided to LINK nky illustrates that salaries for Beechwood’s highest-certified teachers rank lowest or second lowest in Northern Kentucky this school year.
The district’s standing for teacher salaries dropped even after the district awarded large raises last year.
Kaiser said that though raising revenues and awarding raises might not improve the district’s ranking compared to others in the region, the goal is to not fall farther behind.
“We’re just trying to prevent the gap from getting bigger,” Kaiser said.
Board Member Kyle Burns said he was more comfortable with the proposed rates when he calculated how much it would actually cost families each month.
“For me personally, what the numbers come down to is looking at the actual household impact based on property value. Like when I see a $350,000 house, we’re looking at an annual increase of $112,” Burns said.
He also said that minor raises — even if they don’t change how Beechwood’s salaries compare to other districts — demonstrate the district is trying.
“The reality is from a morale standpoint, I would hate to take the position of ‘Well there’s nothing we can do, so we’re not going to try,” he said.
Board Member Jeanne Berger said she favored a smaller revenue increase, saying any revenue increase will stick with taxpayers beyond just one year.
“I’ve been arguing all year long, and it’s falling on deaf ears,” she said.
The board discussed the state’s new rules about advertising proposed tax rates, and whether they had to ultimately adopt the rates they proposed and advertised, or if they could instead pass lower rates than advertised.
Board Attorney Aaren Meehan said the new rules were unclear, but she would hesitate suggesting raising rates higher than the proposed rates.
Board members said they wanted to settle on rates they intended to approve, for the sake of transparency.
Three of four present board members voted in favor of the proposed rates that would increase the district’s property tax revenue by 4%.
Berger voted no.
Board Member Laura Wooten was not present at the meeting.
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