Why are the public schools asking for more in property taxes? Wasn’t the casino money supposed to keep our property taxes down?
Those were the questions some local residents asked after Grand Island Public Schools announced it would take in $3.2 million more in property taxes for 2026-27. That will raise the district’s property tax asking to about $59 million.
The increase is occurring even though the district’s levy — the rate at which it taxes property — is about two-tenths of a percent lower than the year before.
An increase in the district’s total valuation allows it to bring in more property tax overall while keeping the levy “functionally flat,” as Chief Financial Officer Virgil Harden said.
