The Lindbergh Board of Education held its annual tax rate hearing at a special meeting on Sept. 17 featuring a presentation on the district’s estimated 2024 tax rates by Joël Scheible, chief financial officer of Lindbergh Schools. Directly following the special meeting, the board held a regular meeting where it unanimously approved the adoption of the estimated tax rate.

Based on the preliminary calculation by the state auditor’s office, the board approved an estimated blended tax rate of $3.8530, an increase of $0.0145 from last year. The blended rate is a combination of the estimated residential, commercial, agricultural and personal tax rates. It is not levied, but is used to compare Lindbergh Schools to other districts.

The estimated tax rates are set to produce the revenues which the budget for the fiscal year –  beginning July 1, 2024 – show to be required from the property tax. Each tax rate is determined by dividing the amount of gross revenue needed by the current assessed valuation, then multiplying the result by 100 for the rate to be expressed in cents per $100.

The 2024 estimated rates per $100 assessed valuation are:

• Residential real estate – $2.75 (no change from last year)

• Agricultural real estate – $3.14 (decrease of $0.00016 from last year)

• Commercial real estate – $3.38 (increase of $0.0093 from last year)

• Personal property – $3.69 (decrease of $0.0044 from last year)

It should be noted that 2024 is a non-reassessment year, accounting for the very small rate changes.

“One of the main points we want our community to know is that the 2024 estimated residential tax rate is the lowest possible residential tax rate in the state of Missouri, which is $2.75. (This) means the rate for homeowners will remain unchanged, and among the lowest in St. Louis and the state,” Lindbergh’s Chief Communications Officer Beth Johnston said.