NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — Buhler USD 313 Director of Finance Shane Hecox explained that the 20 mills of property taxes that school districts collect in Kansas goes to the state for distribution.
"Basically, our 20 mills goes to the state," Hecox said. "Let's think of that just kind of as a big bucket there at the state. Then, the state uses those funds to distribute to all the school districts. There's state aid percentages involved in all of that, as well. The way the funding formula works now, it's really based on your valuation per pupil in your particular district."
The property taxes end up as a portion of the State Foundation Aid package, otherwise known as base state aid per pupil.
"We are recipients of some decent state aid," Hecox said. "That's because our valuation per pupil is not as high as, say, Blue Valley's valuation per pupil. You could kind of think of it as Blue Valley's 20 mills are helping to, perhaps, help our funding for our education."
House Speaker Dan Hawkins has expressed that he would like to see the 20 mill requirement for school districts reduced, to give taxpayers some property tax relief.
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