Levies we vote on often

The Beavercreek School District has two "emergency" operating levies and one "permanent improvement" levy that were each approved by the voters for only a fairly short period (four or five years).  Each levy was approved in a different year, so they come up for renewal or replacement in different years.  In 2010 Beavercreek voters approved Issue One, which renewed both the original 2001 and 2003 general operating levies and combined them into one single levy.  They are still listed separately on the county auditor's tax reduction factor report and on this webpage, but for purposes of future elections they will be treated as a single levy

• If property values go up, the assessed tax rate goes down so the dollar amount stays the same.
• If new homes or new commercial property add to the overall tax base, the assessed tax rate goes down so the total dollar amount stays the same.
• The first emergency levy was approved in 2001 at 9.9 mills and renewed in 2005 and 2010, but is currently assessed at 6.4.  It will be up for renewal, replacement, or expiration by 2015.
• The second emergency levy was approved in 2003 at 5.9 mills and renewed in 2006 and 2010, but is currently assessed at 4.3.  It will be up for renewal, replacement, or expiration by 2015.

The permanent improvement levy rate is also reduced in proportion to rising property values, but it is not reduced in proportion to new construction.

• If property values go up, the assessed tax rate goes down so the dollar amount stays the same.
• If new homes or new commercial property add to the overall tax base, the owners of those new properties are assessed the same millage rate that everyone else is assessed.
• It was originally approved at 1.0 mill in 1989 and was renewed in 1994, 1999, 2004, and 2009, so it will probably be back on the ballot in 2014.  It is currently assessed at 0.45 mills, to keep the amount collected from existing property owners fixed at the original dollar amount.

Levies we rarely vote on

In 1995 Beavercreek voters approved a 3.9 mill bond issue to pay for major expansions and renovations at several of the Beavercreek School District buildings.  A construction bond is essentially a mortgage loan for a fixed dollar amount.  Annual taxes collected via the bond levy pay the principal and interest on the loan, and cannot be used for other expenses.  Those principal and interest payments will be collected every year until the $42,000,000 bond is repaid in 2019.  (In 2006 the School District refinanced the bond to take advantage of lower interest rates, reducing the total tax burden).  As with the emergency levies, the assessed tax rate (currently 1.6 mills) goes down if property values go up or if new construction expands the tax base, in order to limit the dollar amount collected to the amount needed to pay the principal and interest on the bond.

In 2008 Beavercreek voters approved a 3.3 mill construction bond to pay for construction of new school buildings and major repairs to existing buildings.  It is now assessed at 2.9 mills.

Levies we don't vote on at all

In the 1970s and 1980s, Beavercreek voters approved several continuing, non-expiring levies for general operating funds at an original total of 26.2 mills.  As property values have risen, the assessed millage has been gradually reduced to a current total of 15.4 mills.

In addition to the voted (or "outside") levies, the school district has a 4.6 mill "inside" levy for general operating expenses and a 1.0 mill inside levy for permanent improvements.  Inside levies are not voted on and don't get reduced to compensate for rising property values.   State law provides for such inside levies, but no more can be added.

As discussed above, state law also requires tax rates on voted levies to be reduced in proportion to rising property values, to protect property owners from unvoted tax increases.  But it also set a 20-mill "floor" for reductions to general-fund taxes, to partially protect school districts from permanently facing a fixed income while costs go up over time.  The 4.6 mill inside levy plus the 15.4 mill continuing levies equal the 20 mill floor, so the continuing levies cannot be reduced any further and will remain at 15.4 mills.

Comparative cost and performance records
for the most recently completed school year, and for the most recent five school years averaged together

(Financial data is from 2003-2004 through 2007-2008, and will be updated when the 2008-2009 data is available.  Performance data is from 2004-2005 through 2008-2009.)