Question

Central County includes five townships (Nixon, Reagan, Davis, greasy Creek and Navaho) and one city (Booneville). It is served by two independent school districts: Seagram United Schools (Davis and greasy Creek Townships) and Clinton Consolidated Schools (Nixon, Reagan and Navaho townships). Each government in the county levies a property tax to finance its activities, although Booneville has also enacted a local earned income tax (it is expected to yield $750,000 in the next year). Property tax rates are applied to assessed value, defined to equal 50 percent of fair cash value. Local unit tax rates fully overlap.

The County assessor reports the following fair cash values for units within the county:

Nixon Township	$69,535,000
Reagan Township	$35,000,000
Davis Township	$23,720,000
Greasy Creek Township	$15,922,000
Navaho Township	$27,291,000
Booneville (Davis Township)	$88,450,000
Booneville (Greasy Creek Township	$75,392,000

The township value data for the area outside of any city or town that resides in the township. Values within a city must be added to obtain the township total.

The following presents the amounts that each taxing unit has budged to spend in the next year:

Central County	$3,428,000
Booneville City	$4,539,000
Nixon Township	$99,00
Reagan Township	$150,000
Davis Township	$250,000
Greasy Creek Township	$175,000
Navaho Township	$83,000
Seagram United Schools	$6,350,000
Clinton Consolidated Schools	$3,800,000

There are 1,800 students in Seagram United Schools and 600 students in Clinton Consolidated Schools. How many dollars per pupil would a tax rate of $1 per $100 of assessed value yield in each district? Explain the significance of this comparison.

Answer 1

Step 1: Calculate Fair Cash Value for Seagram United Schools and Clinton Consolidated Schools

The fair cash value for each school district is determined as below:

Seagram United Schools = Davis Township Fair Cash Value + Greasy Creek Township Fair Cash Value + (Booneville Fair Cash Value) = 23,720,000 + 15,922,000 + (88,450,000 + 75,392,000) = $203,484,000 or $203,484 (in thousands)

Clinton Consolidated Schools = Nixon Township Fair Cash Value + Reagan Township Fair Cash Value + Navaho Township Fair Cash Value = 69,535,000 + 35,000,000 + 27,291,000 = $131,826,000 or $131,826 (in thousands)

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Step 2: Calculate Dollars per Pupil a Tax Rate of $1 per $100 of Assessed Value would Yield

The dollars per pupil a tax rate of $1 per $100 of assessed value would yield is calculated as below:

Seagram United Schools = (Fair Cash Value/2)/Number of Students*1/100 = (203,484,000/2)/1,800*1/100 = $565.23 per pupil

Clinton Consolidated Schools = (Fair Cash Value/2)/Number of Students*1/100 = (131,826,000/2)/600*1/100 = $1,098.55 per pupil

The comparison is important as it indicates the amount of revenue that can be generated per pupil in each district with the application of 1% ($1 per $100 of assessed value) of tax rate. This comparison can help the county in assessing the performance of each district and its contribution to the overall tax revenue.