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Levy sits at just under $8.6 million

On Monday night, the Austin Public Schools Board unanimously voted to accept the 2022 tax levy.

The board approved an increase to the tax levy of 2.74% from last year, at $8,592,885.85. That’s an increase over the 2021 levy which was  $8,363,499.67.

For a home valued at $100,000, the increase means a rise of $20 over last year’s property taxes.

Page gets a thumbs up

The board also on Monday night issued its support of Austin’s new superintendent Dr. Joey Page following the results of his evaluation.

Reading from an official statement, Board Chair Kathy Green said that Page demonstrated leadership and motivation.

“The board found that in the short time Dr. Page has been with our school district, he has shown great leadership, activating a thorough transition plan,” Green read. “It is clear he is motivated by his desire to serve the needs of our students and community.”

Members of the board were also impressed with Page’s communication of intent to the board.

“What stood out in our conversations was his excellent communication skills,” board member Cece Kroc said. “I feel like we, as a board, are very aware of the ins and outs of the everyday occurrences with the schools.”

Page took over for David Krenz, who retired at the end of last school year after being with the district for 10 years.

In other news

• The school district has set school Spelling Bees for Jan. 12 for grades five through eighth, with the district-wide Spelling Bee to take palace on Jan. 19.

• The board will begin looking into the 2022-23 budget with a superintendent’s cabinet review of enrollment projections in January as well as the District Leadership Team meeting regarding staffing. According to a budget time-line presented by the district’s new Executive Director of Finance and Operations Andrew Adams, the board will approve the budget by June 30 of next year.