After approving the 2023-24 fiscal year property tax rates at their August meeting, the Christian County School Board amended the personal property tax rate at their Thursday meeting as well as highlighted newer career pathway programs and the current district facility plan.
In August the Board approved a 42.2 cent real property tax rate, a 42.8 cent personal property tax rate and a 56.6 cent motor vehicle tax rate. On Thursday the Board unanimously voted to decrease the personal property tax to 42.1 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Board Attorney Jack Lackey says the previous tax rate was projected to produce over a 4% increase of revenue based on current property assessments, but the increase of local revenue would lead to a decrease of state funding.
Beyond discussing tax rates, Gateway Academy Principal Penny Knight highlighted new and up and coming career and technical education pathways offered to high school students.
Knight says schools have recently added aircraft maintenance, residential maintenance and athletic trainer pathways for students. Knight also says they will start recruiting for their up-and-coming broadcast journalism pathway which will be a partnership with WHOP News Radio.
In regards to expanding the programs offered and adjusting established programs, Knights says the government provides them with information focusing on the top five career pathways in the state. Schools also partner with local businesses to develop these pathways and determine how to give students work experience.
Knight says the goal of the pathways is to ensure students have a work-based learning experience before they graduate.
District Technology Coordinator, Jason Wilson highlighted parts of the district facility plan which included plans for moving sixth grade students to county middle schools the high school consolidation
Wilson says he will return to the Board with plans for sixth graders to attend county middle schools rather than elementary institutions saying it will work to better distribute the county student population and give middle school teachers and staffs more time to work with their students.
For high school consolidation, Wilson says the bond sales went well on Thursday and now all that is left is for the construction of the new Christian County High School to be done. Wilson says construction preparations are already being made.
A groundbreaking for the new Christian County High School is tentatively set for 9 a.m. on September 15.