Nanuet School District breaks down the Tax Rate

Boggled by numbers and percentages and how they affect your money and home?

The Nanuet Union Free School District's Board of Education agreed that taxes and tax rates are confusing and may be misunderstood by many residents so theydiscussed an easier way of explaining it. They met last night at Nanuet High School with a packet that answered three main questions:

1. What determines the Nanuet School District tax rate?
2. What are the Nanuet School Tax Rates for Clarkstown and Orangetown tax payers for 2010-2011 school year and how do they compare to the 2009-2010 school year?
3. What were the specific factors that determined the tax rate for the 2010-2011 year?

A packet with all the details was distributed last night; that packet is attached to this story as a pdf. Below is a summary of the answers to each of the above questions:

What determines the Nanuet School District tax rate?

There are four major components that determine the tax rate: 

• The tax levy, which is the only component within the District's control.
• The equalization rate. ORPS decides the equalization rate and schools get the final numbers in July or August. An informative brochure about this was also passed out at last night's board meeting. This is also attached as a pdf to this story.
• The homestead and non-homestead law. The homestead – non homestead law involves the adjusted base proportion which the assessors give the the schools in July.
• The total assessed valuation of property. The town assessors decide the assessed valuation usually by May.

What are the Nanuet School Tax Rates for Clarkstown and Orangetown tax payers for 2010-2011 school year and how do they compare to the 2009-2010 school year?

These rates are in a convenient chart as a pdf attached to this article. 

What were the specific factors that determined the tax rate for the 2010-2011 year?

The specific factors that determined the 9.04% tax rate increase in Clarkstown:

• Tax levy increase of 2.33%.
• Increase of 4.18% due to equalization rate changes.
• Equalization rate adjustment of 2.53% from 2009-10.

The specific factors that determine the -7.18% tax decrease in Orangetown:

• Tax levy increase of 2.33%.
• Increase of -5.88% due to equalization rate changes.
• Equalization rate adjustment of -3.63% from 2009-10.