Newport Independent Schools Board of Education voted to change tax rates to generate 4% more revenue during a special meeting this week.
During the Sept. 9 meeting, the board voted to adopt rates proposed last month.
- Raising the real property rate from 77 to 79, which translates to $790 up from $770 in revenue for every $100,000 in real estate.
- Lowering the rate on personal property from 90.4 to 86.4, which translates to $864 down from $904 in revenue for every $100,000 in personal property.
Personal property includes items used for business or commerce, including inventory, raw materials and office supplies.
The new rates will generate $494,344 more revenue than last year’s rates. The district says most of that revenue, $280,917, will go toward instruction. Another $201,068 will go toward the district’s building fund, and the remainder will go toward collection costs.
Two members of the public responded to the district’s proposed rate changes during the meeting, though the board had not scheduled a formal public comment period. Ruth Johnson, a resident and owner of three properties in the district, asked the board where the money was going.
Newport Superintendent Matt Atkins relayed the distribution amounts outlined in the public notice.
“I want you guys to succeed, if money’s the answer, then take what you need, but I’m not seeing the results, so I have to wonder: What is it going toward?” Johnson said. “I think it’s a legitimate question for any citizen.”
Another resident, former Newport Mayor Jerry Peluso, also spoke against asking residents to pay more in taxes.
“It seems like whether it’s Newport Board of Education, or the city of Newport, or Duke Energy, the water district, sanitation district, Campbell County — we’re in everybody’s pocket,” Peluso said.
Newport opts into social media civil action suit
The Newport Board of Education voted unanimously to opt into the same multi-district lawsuit against social media companies as Dayton Independent Schools. The vote on a resolution authorizing litigation during Wednesday’s special meeting followed an executive session. The board did not discuss their decision in public.
The approved resolution seeks damages for the companies knowingly harming youth mental health and burdening schools as “one of the main providers of mental health services for school-aged children in the community.”
The resolution authorizes the board to engage the same two lawyers and their firms to file a civil action lawsuit: Wil Schroder from Schroder & Schroder PLLC and Ronald Johnson, of Hendy Johnson Vaughn, P.S.C.
Those firms were also authorized to file the lawsuit on behalf of Dayton Independent Schools, however Dayton’s resolution included a third firm, DeMarcus Law, PLLC.
After the meeting, Newport provided LINK nky a fee agreement as part of the board’s materials for its executive session, which would guarantee involved attorneys a third of any recovered damages.
According to that agreement, 70% of that sum would go to Hendy Johnson Vaughn, 15% would go to Schroder & Schroder and 15% would go to the district’s acting attorney, Brandon Voelker, of Gatlin Voelker, PLLC.
Superintendent receives first annual review
The Board of Education also approved its first annual evaluation of Atkins, offering positive and constructive comments on his leadership as interim superintendent last year. It’s his first year in the permanent superintendent position.
Atkins’ evaluation used a framework adopted from the Kentucky Department of Education, which uses four scores — exemplary, accomplished, developing, and growth required — to evaluate leadership skills.
Atkins received four accomplished marks and three developing marks from the board. He was ranked as accomplished in his strategic, cultural and managerial leadership skills.
He also received an accomplished score for his “influential leadership,” which looks at how a superintendent navigates “the larger political, social, economic, legal, ethical and cultural context” of the district.
The board listed accomplishments in those areas including:
- Reorganizing district leadership roles to align with staff reductions.
- Creating an alumni engagement position.
- Preparing and overseeing a budget that aligns with the district’s resources.
- Working with the Board of Education to define “mutual policies, goals and expectations”
Atkins received developing scores for leadership skills related to collaboration, human resources and instruction.
The board also listed his accomplishments in all those areas, including:
- Collaborating with Covington-based childcare provider Learning Grove for full-day preschool
- Creating a team to create a district-wide vision for math instruction, and selecting a pilot math program.
- Successfully overseeing the retention of all administrative leaders and principals for the 2026-27 school year.
The board also set goals for Atkins’ 2026-27 academic year, including the following.
- Improving math and reading performance in internal diagnostic testing by up to 10%
- Working to reduce teacher and staff turnover.
- Expanding the career-technical education program at the high school, increasing enrollment in the dual credit program at Gateway Community & Technical College and the Northern Kentucky University Young Scholar Academy.