The Superintendent's Blog

A trait that continues to define Millard’s culture is the district’s open and thorough planning processes. Both are especially important when it comes to our finances. With state funding relatively flat from the prior year and ongoing inflationary pressures, I want to share an update on the 2025-26 budget. The most important takeaway is that we will deliver a conservative budget. Please continue reading for the details.

Our top priorities remain the same: to provide an outstanding educational program while managing resources responsibly. Nebraska Department of Education data shows Millard continues to be among the most efficient districts in the state - this year, we are the second lowest in spending per pupil. Concurrently, we continue to achieve strong educational outcomes and unique opportunities that help give Millard students a competitive advantage.

The largest driver in our budget growth is increased staff compensation costs. This year’s budget reflects an overall increase of 3.2%, which is below Millard’s base revenue cap. Roughly 80% of our budget is tied to our dedicated staff, and competitive compensation is critical in today’s workforce environment. For comparison, last year our budget growth was just 1.49%. We worked hard to keep the budget this low, especially in light of the district’s $11 million reduction in state aid. When the budget is averaged across the two years, our growth is a conservative 2.35%.

On the revenue side, the adjusted property valuation for Millard increased 5.66%; however, the district’s overall tax asking will only rise by 2.71%. This is because our overall levy will decrease from $1.1180 in 2024-25 to $1.0900 in 2025-26. For perspective, our levy was at $1.2510 in 2018-19. Under the stewardship of our Board of Education, it has declined significantly in recent years. Importantly, we are keeping the promise made in the most recent bond campaign by holding the bond levy at $0.115.

Finally, we continue to engage at the state level with elected officials to explore ways to bring greater stability to school funding and reduce Nebraska’s over-reliance on property taxes. Progress has been made in recent years with changes to the funding formula for the 2023-24 school year, which provided additional state financial support to schools, and the front-loaded property tax credit applied for the 2024-25 school year. We value being part of these conversations and appreciate the collaboration with policymakers as we work toward solutions that better serve our community and the state.

Thank you for your ongoing support and engagement with our schools. Should you have further questions, please feel free to reach out to our Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Chad Meisgeier, at cmmeisgeier@mpsomaha.org or 402-715-8401.