Manhattan D114 Projects Flat Tax Rate Despite Higher Levy Request, Plans Abatement

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | November 12, 2025

Article Summary:
Manhattan School District 114 officials presented the tentative 2025 tax levy, which includes a higher request to capture value from new property and a 9.4% increase in assessed value. The board plans to abate over $2.7 million in the spring to ensure the final tax rate for homeowners remains unchanged at 4.2552.

2025 Tax Levy Key Points:

• The district’s Equalized Assessed Value (EAV) is estimated to increase by 9.4%, rising from $478 million to over $522 million.

• The district will “balloon” its levy request to just over 5%, a strategy to ensure it captures all available funds from new property growth, estimated at over $10 million.

• Because the requested increase is over 5%, a formal Truth in Taxation hearing is required and will be held at the December 10 meeting.

• The board plans to abate approximately $2.7 million from its bond and interest fund in the spring to bring the final tax rate back down to the target of 4.2552.

MANHATTAN – The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Tuesday, November 12, 2025, reviewed the tentative 2025 property tax levy, which projects an increase in the district’s tax revenue but is structured to keep the overall tax rate flat for property owners.

Superintendent Dr. Damien Aherne explained that the district’s total Equalized Assessed Value (EAV), the total value of all taxable property, is projected to increase by approximately 9.4%, from nearly $478 million in 2024 to an estimated $522 million for the 2025 levy year. This growth is driven by both rising property values and over $10 million in new construction.

To capture the full value of this new property, the district plans to request a levy that is slightly more than 5% higher than the previous year’s extension. Dr. Aherne noted this “balloon” levy is a standard practice to avoid losing out on potential tax dollars, as the EAV and new property figures are only estimates at this stage. The actual amount the district will receive is capped by law.

Because the requested levy exceeds the 5% threshold, the district is legally required to hold a Truth in Taxation hearing. The public hearing is scheduled for the next regular board meeting on December 10, 2025.

Dr. Aherne assured the board and the public that despite the higher initial request, the district intends to maintain its commitment to the community by keeping the final tax rate stable. This will be achieved through a tax abatement in the spring.

“We anticipate an approximation of about $2.7 million to maintain the overall tax rate of 4.2552,” Dr. Aherne said, referring to the amount the board will vote to return to taxpayers from its bond and interest fund. “If we did not make that abatement, the tax rate would be just under 4.8.”

The final abatement amount will be determined in the spring of 2026, once the county provides the final EAV figures. Board President John Burke acknowledged that legally required notices about the higher levy request can be alarming for homeowners and emphasized the district’s intent to abate.