Riverview's proposed budget includes small tax hike

Riverview School District taxpayers could see a 2.23% tax increase next school year under the district’s proposed budget.

The 0.5591-mill real estate tax hike for 2025-2026 would be used to cover expenses including anticipated increases for technology due to tariffs and “mandatory” security guard staffing, said district Business Manager Sheila Lubert.

Lubert said even with the tax increase, the school still faces a deficit of about $115,000.

If more spending reductions can’t be identified, an even larger tax increase may be needed to cover the full $115,000, Lubert said.

For a property with a median assessed value of $158,500 in the district, the proposed millage rate of 25.5 would mean an additional $89 in taxes.

Revenues and expenditures are each projected to increase by over 5% from this school year, according to Lubert. Total revenue is projected to come in at $28.3 million, while total expenditures are projected to reach $28.45 million.

Lubert said some costs can be attributed to upcoming projects.

“We have the junior, senior high school cafeteria renovation scheduled for the summer of 2026,” Lubert said in an email.

Lubert said contributing to the increase in expenditures are costs associated with rising health insurance rates, which went up around $8,000, contractual obligations, anticipated increases for technology due to tariffs and mandatory security guard staffing. Board president Wendy Wilton said the security guard addition is an unfunded, state mandate that will cost the district around $200,000.

Wilton said there will be two security guards with one stationed at the high school and one rotating between the district’s elementary schools.

“We have a very small amount of the budget that is not contracted that we have any control over,” Wilton said.

She said the board needs to keep up with rising costs and would rather raise taxes little by little than get to a point where the board would have to vote for a major tax hike.

“We want to make sure that we’re not going to set ourselves up for a big turn down the road,” Wilton said.

She said that around 10 years ago, after not raising taxes for years, the board had to cut an art teacher, a music teacher, a nurse and a counselor to keep up with costs.

The proposed budget was passed in an 8-0 vote. Board member Brian Hawk was absent from the meeting.

Items on the budget are subject to change until a final budget is voted for on June 16. An open budget session is scheduled for June 2.