Editor’s note: The following press release was provided by the Whitewater Unified School District.

Whitewater Unified School District taxpayers will realize a lower-than-expected levy rate after the School Board approved the district’s 2022-23 budget on Monday evening.

As a result, the tax levy will decrease by about 7 percent from the previous year, with a mill rate of $8.76 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This marks a decrease from the current rate of $11 per $1,000. The originally projected rate was $9.91 per $1,000 of assessed property value.

The budget and the district’s mill rate will remain in place if residents approve the operational referendum question on Tuesday, November 8.

“We are pleased to share with our community that, thanks to increasing enrollment and sound fiscal management, the board has been able to decrease the projected levy for residents this school year,” said Dr. Caroline Pate-Hefty, Superintendent. “This is great news for our district and the property taxpayers who support our schools. We look forward to continuing to engage our community around our district’s needs and the solution on the ballot November 8.”

If approved, the November 8 operational referendum would renew a similar measure voters passed in 2018. That non-recurring operational referendum, which will expire in June 2023, has allowed WUSD to exceed its state-imposed revenue limit to fund critical programs and services for students. 

WUSD was able to realize an increase in state aid based on increased enrollment of 52 students this school year, property valuations, spending per student, and total expenditures across the state. 

With the proposed referendum, the district and board are not asking the community for additional funding, despite rising costs over the past several years. 

For more information on the referendum, please visit www.wwusd.org/page/referendum.