Iowa City schools adopt FY'27 certified budget and set proposed tax rate at 16.70855

The Iowa City Community School District Board of Directors voted April 28 to approve the FY'27 certified budget and the associated tax certification, setting a proposed property tax rate of 16.70855 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Chief Operating Officer Curt Pratt said staff trimmed the management-fund levy from earlier estimates to help reduce the final rate. Pratt told the board the recommended 16.70855 rate reflects updated management-fund assumptions (including finalized early-retirement costs) and left other levies (cash-reserve, PPEL, debt service) unchanged.

Pratt said the district's tax rate remains below some nearby districts and that the revised rate reflects updated assumptions after state action on SSA. "We are under the FY'25 high-water mark on the graph," he said, adding the district will still publish homeowner guidance and notes about rollbacks and exemptions.

Board Secretary Kim Colvin announced online voting was open and the motion to adopt the certified budget carried "with all directors voting in favor." The board also approved a separate resolution authorizing conveyance of property known locally as 1725 North Dodge Street (the ESC) to the city of Iowa City; that motion also carried unanimously.

What happens next: The certified budget and tax certification will proceed through county publication and implementation as required by state law; staff and district communications will provide examples for homeowners on how to estimate changes in school taxes.