As the countdown to the Nov. 7 city/school elections continues, officials with the Carroll Community School District (CCSD) are working to ensure voters understand the impact on individual households for the proposed instructional support levy (ISL) renewal. According to Director of Business Affairs Nicole McCarville, the ISL has been active at CCSD since 2016 and will expire in Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. She explains how the levy is calculated.
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When it was approved nearly a decade ago, CCSD was one of only a handful of districts that did not utilize an ISL. Currently, only one district in Iowa does not have an ISL in place. Of the $1 million the ISL generates for the district, about half comes from property taxes and the other half through an income surtax. The median value for a home in Carroll County is $165,000. McCarville explains how that property tax liability is figured.
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The other portion, the income surtax, is around three percent. Carroll County’s median household income is approximately $61,000, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Their state income tax liability would be nearly $3,000. The income surtax liability for a median household is calculated at $90, bringing the per-year total liability for a median-income family in a median-value home to $128 per year. This calculation can vary tremendously from family to family based on property tax credits, income variations, and much more. McCarville says Tuesday’s election is the district’s first attempt at renewal, but it likely won’t be the last if it does not pass.
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The 10-year ISL renewal would extend the ISL through FY35 and requires 50 percent plus one support to pass. The district’s informational committee has an easy-to-use calculator for voters to see what their property tax liability is for the ISL. For more information, follow the links included below.
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