The Fremont Public Schools District passed its 2025-2026 Budget on a 6-0 vote during the Board of Education meeting Monday night.
The General Fund budget, excluding unused budget authority, will increase by 2.50% from $72,486,313 to $74,287,651. At the same time on the resource side, the District is experiencing only a 0.98% increase in assessed valuation. The proposed
budget includes a property tax levy that is being raised by 3.74 cents, from $1.028 to $1.066.
Additionally, $1,657,550 of cash reserves will be used to help balance the budget.
The levy in the General Fund will be raised to 89.01 cents, up from 86.1 cents. The levy associated with the Bond Fund has increased from 16.7 cents to 17.6.
“The levies associated with this budget reflect the growing needs of the district while recognizing the impact of a less than 1% increase in assessed values”, stated Dr. Chris Loofe, assistant superintendent. “The increase in our tax levy request (3.74 cents) in the General Fund and Bond Fund is a reflection of the flat assessed valuation and a loss of nearly two million dollars in state aid.”
Fremont Public Schools General Fund budget covers personnel, instruction, transportation and most operating costs. Personnel costs make up 86% of the General Fund. The District budgets the majority of the General Fund expenditures on classroom instruction — approximately 66.6%.
A majority of the budget, 48%, is funded by property taxes. The second-largest revenue source is state aid, which funds 27% of the budget.
The board aims to maximize resources while creating an expenditure budget which meets the district’s needs, all while being sensitive to the needs of the district’s patrons.
The budget incorporates changes due to the negotiated agreement and increases for all employee groups of 3.5%.
Factors affecting FPS finances include increased costs for labor and staffing, cost of supplies and
materials, utility rates, insurance and transportation costs.
“Essentially, everything impacting our own personal finances is also creating a challenge for the school district budget,” said Dr. Brad Dahl, superintendent.
The district continues to be efficient with its spending. Fremont Public Schools is ranked tied for second out of 244 school districts in Nebraska in per-pupil spending. The district spends $13,067 per-pupil compared to the state average of $17,205.
Monday night’s action on the budget and tax request were the final approvals in the budget process. Due to the district staying below the allowable growth threshold set by the state, the district is not required to attend the Dodge County LB 644 Joint Public Hearing.
“The budget approved tonight accurately reflects the district’s revenues and expenditures and meets the educational needs of the district while honoring the needs of the community,” Board of Education President Sandi Proskovec said. “Budgeting for FPS is a year-long process and one that is taken seriously with intentionality.”
