- This chart is the Clear Lake total tax levy with each levy that contributes to the total levy from 2015-2024.
- The tax rate has remained steady for the last eight years at $10.39.
- The district did not have a debt service levy between 2017 and 2020, but even after adding a debt service levy in 2021, the overall tax rate remained unchanged at $10.39.
- The Instructional Support (ISL) Levy – The Clear Lake School Board approves this levy every five years, or they can do a ten-year voter-approved levy. This funding can be used for any general fund purpose. Clear Lake funds this levy through both property tax and income surtax. This levy has stayed pretty steady over the last eight years.
- Cash Reserve Levy – This levy maintains adequate cash reserves to handle the cash flow. This levy is also used to back added spending authority granted by the School Budget Review Committee (SBRC). Districts are limited to the amount they may levy each year. This levy has changed over the years; as you can see, there was no cash reserve levy in 2016 and 2017 and a big jump in 2018 and 2019. This was due to the overspending of cash in 2015-2017, which depleted our cash reserves, so the district levied to get back to a better solvency ratio. For 2020, we could only levy a small amount because the district is in a much better cash position. The district has not needed to levy any cash reserve since FY21 because the district is in such a good cash position.
- The Management Levy is not rate–restricted but use–restricted. It can only be used for liability insurance premium costs, tort judgments, self-insurance, property loss, unemployment, early retirement, and the cost of mediation or arbitration.
- Board-approved PPEL -the maximum amount of this levy is $0.33. Funds are restricted to building and grounds purchases and improvements, transportation equipment (such as buses), energy conservation, technology over $500, and non-instructional programming.
- Voter-approved PPEL—The voters must approve this, and the maximum amount to be approved is $1.34. The funds can be used in the same manner as the board-approved PPEL. Clear Lake currently has a $1.34 voter-approved PPEL.
Debt Service Levy – Requires a 60% voter approval. The rate is not to exceed $2.70 unless a 60% voter approval for the rate to exceed that level to $4.05. Funds are used to pay general obligation bonds used to finance infrastructure projects.
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- The top portion of the figure shows the Clear Lake Community School District tax rate from FY19 to FY25 and all of the individual levy rates that make up the total tax rate.
- The bottom portion of the figure contains a graph comparing the Clear Lake Community School District's tax rate in FY25 to that of all the
- NCC conference schools and other school districts in our area.
- The Clear Lake Community School District has the fifth-lowest tax rate in this area.
- Clear Lake School District has one of the lowest Tax Rates in Iowa.
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