HOPKINSVILLE, KY (CHRISTIAN COUNTY NOW) – During the Aug. 21 Board of Education meeting, the district approved a lower property tax rate, despite the dramatic increase in property assessments in Christian County.

“Each year school districts are required to review and levy school tax rates based on prior year revenue,” said Director of Finance Jessica Darnell to the board. “The property value assessments are given to us by the local PVA (Property Valuation Administrator) office, and options are set forth by law for schools to levy from KDE.”

Darnell earnestly debunked concerns presented by a couple of residents at the beginning of the meeting who insisted that the district was approving a higher rate. During her presentation to the board, she broke down what the new tax rate means and emphasized that the district is proposing a two-cent reduction in property tax.

Current rate vs 2025-26 rate breakdown

Darnell explained that the current rate CCPS has is the fifth lowest property tax rate in the state, despite having the 12 biggest district population. The rate is also the lowest of all neighboring counties, with nearby Dawson Springs being almost doubled.

The current rate is as follows for the previous fiscal year.

  • Real Estate 41.0 cents per $100 of property value.
  • Personal Property (Tangible) 42.1 per $100 of property value.
  • Motor Vehicle 56.6 per $100 of property value.
  • Utility Tax 3%

The new proposed rate is below, in effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

  • Real Estate 39.0 cents per $100 of property value.
  • Personal Property (Tangible) 42.1 cents per $100 of property value.
  • Motor Vehicle 56.6 cents per $100 of property value.
  • Utility Tax 3%

This new 4% rate keeps the tangible rate the same and reduces property rate by two cents per $100 of property value.

According to Darnell, residents who own a home valued at $100,000 would see a $20 dollar reduction in their property tax bill for the portion that goes toward the district. Unless a resident’s personal property has been reassessed, they will not see an increase in property tax.

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Drastically increased property assessments, less money for CCPS

Total property assessments for Christian County increased by a staggering $608 million this fiscal year, causing residents to see higher rates overall on their bill. This evaluation operates completely separate from CCPS and is done by the Christian County PVA. Darnell explained that the increased property value assessment not only affects residents, but also the school system.

“We do not have any control in how assessments are done throughout the county,” Darnel explained, adding that assessments increased by 10% mostly due to commercial and industrial developments in the county outside of the school system.

For every $1 million increase in property assessments, CCPS loses $3,000 in necessary SEEK funding, causing them to lose a total of $1.8 million in revenue in the 2025-2026 fiscal year. Due to this, incoming property tax will only bring in an increase in revenue of around $160,000 for the district to utilize, a significant decrease from last year.

Darnell added that the rate has continued to lower or remain steady over the last six years. The board unanimously voted to accept the new rate.

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