The Christina School Board voted Thursday to impose a 10% tax rate increase after property reassessments wrapped up earlier this year.
School districts don’t typically have the power to adjust tax rates without a referendum. But this year’s property reassessment allows districts to impose tax rates hikes as high as 10%.
Christina School District chief financial officer Bob Vacca
Vacca said taking advantage of the permitted tax increase is the prudent move.
“The ultimate outcome of this is this 10% increase represents $18 million year over year in increased receipts from this past school year ending June 30, 2025,” Vacca said. “The caveat and the reason we need to do this is there is a lack of history on something of this magnitude.”
Vacca argues additional revenue could help cover the 2.55% of the assessed value at risk to appeal and other issues.
“We have to account for 2% increase in state salaries,” Vacca said at the board meeting. “We have to account for – that doesn't include teachers, of course – combined state and local salary increases for all the other classifications, averages out to 4%. And the overall non-labor expenditures [are] going up what we estimate to be at 3%.”
The Board unanimously passed the tax plan and Fiscal Year 2026 preliminary budget.
The district’s tax plan had to be finalized this week, while the Board has more time to make adjustments to the budget, which will be reviewed in January or February.
The school district cancelled a planned referendum this year because of the uncertainty created by property reassessment. Vacca suggested the Board revisit holding an operating referendum this school year.
