Why I Think Your Property Taxes Are Going Up — Hickman County (Unofficial)

I put together a short, 12-slide presentation on how our schools are funded:

**[▶ How Hickman County Schools Are Funded](https://how-hickman-county-schools-are-funded-cozf.pages.grok.bot/)**

Slide 11 is probably the most interesting. It shows the schools need about an additional **36 pennies** on the property tax rate to cover the deficit.

## A property tax increase is likely

- **36¢** is roughly the increase needed to cover the deficit.
- **About $80,000** is what each penny raises for the schools, according to the presentation.
- **$360 a year** is what 36¢ would add to the tax bill for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

The next budget cycle is right around the corner, and if I had to make a prediction, I would say it is **VERY** likely your property taxes are going to go up. If I had to guess, and it is only a guess, I would expect to see 10–20 penny increases spread out over the next two budget cycles.

> **My recommendation:** There is going to be a temptation to see a number like that as a compromise. My recommendation will be to resist anything above 2–4 pennies. These increases are often permanent, and that money has to go to the schools even if attendance falls dramatically in the coming years.

## A joint "retreat," possibly in Nashville

The School Board is seeking to meet with the County Commissioners for a "retreat." There is a possibility this will take place in Nashville and not in Hickman County. These meetings are slated for sometime in January.

> **Please speak up:** I strongly urge everyone to reach out to their representatives and let them know if you would prefer to see these meetings held in Hickman County rather than in Davidson County, which makes it harder for the public to attend.

## Where the money goes

The school system publishes a document called "Countersigned Warrants," which is basically a list of vendor payments. I have used AI to turn it into an interactive treemap. This is not all school spending. The budget is much larger than this, and I think the bulk of the remainder is salaries.

I have also used AI to help consolidate some of the attendance data and personnel reports.

- [Countersigned Warrants Treemap](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/treemaps/countersigned-warrants.html)
- [Schools Membership & Attendance](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/reports/schools-membership-attendance.html)
- [Schools Personnel Reports](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/reports/schools-personnel-reports.html)

## Meeting materials and downloads

- [Last School Board meeting](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/view/143): all materials and the outline
- [Last County Commission meeting](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/view/393): materials and outline
- [Download everything (.zip)](https://hickman-county-unofficial.com/view/341): all files from Hickman-County-Unofficial.com

## Coming up Monday

We have a **Health, Safety & Properties Committee** meeting Monday night, and a **School Board** meeting as well.

*Figures come from the presentation linked above. The predictions and recommendations are my own opinion. — Ethan Post*

I put together a short, 12-slide presentation on how our schools are funded:

▶ How Hickman County Schools Are Funded

Slide 11 is probably the most interesting. It shows the schools need about an additional 36 pennies on the property tax rate to cover the deficit.

A property tax increase is likely

36¢ is roughly the increase needed to cover the deficit.
About $80,000 is what each penny raises for the schools, according to the presentation.
$360 a year is what 36¢ would add to the tax bill for every $100,000 of assessed property value.

The next budget cycle is right around the corner, and if I had to make a prediction, I would say it is VERY likely your property taxes are going to go up. If I had to guess, and it is only a guess, I would expect to see 10–20 penny increases spread out over the next two budget cycles.

My recommendation: There is going to be a temptation to see a number like that as a compromise. My recommendation will be to resist anything above 2–4 pennies. These increases are often permanent, and that money has to go to the schools even if attendance falls dramatically in the coming years.

A joint "retreat," possibly in Nashville

The School Board is seeking to meet with the County Commissioners for a "retreat." There is a possibility this will take place in Nashville and not in Hickman County. These meetings are slated for sometime in January.

Please speak up: I strongly urge everyone to reach out to their representatives and let them know if you would prefer to see these meetings held in Hickman County rather than in Davidson County, which makes it harder for the public to attend.

Where the money goes

The school system publishes a document called "Countersigned Warrants," which is basically a list of vendor payments. I have used AI to turn it into an interactive treemap. This is not all school spending. The budget is much larger than this, and I think the bulk of the remainder is salaries.

I have also used AI to help consolidate some of the attendance data and personnel reports.

Meeting materials and downloads

Last School Board meeting: all materials and the outline
Last County Commission meeting: materials and outline
Download everything (.zip): all files from Hickman-County-Unofficial.com

Coming up Monday

We have a Health, Safety & Properties Committee meeting Monday night, and a School Board meeting as well.

Figures come from the presentation linked above. The predictions and recommendations are my own opinion. — Ethan Post