School Tax & Millage Rate Information
The following is an informational page for residents of the Jackson County School System, relating to property taxes and the school millage rate.
Tax Assessments
Tax values are set each year by the Jackson County Board of Tax Assessors. Appeals of the tax assessment can be made to the County Board of Tax Assessors. Increases in tax assessment values will lead to increased estimates of ad valorem tax bill estimates. These estimates were mailed out in late April.
The school tax shown on a tax assessment is based on the millage rate established by the Jackson County School System during the previous fall’s Board of Education meeting. The millage rate earns the school system money, based on the tax assessment of a property which was determined by the Tax Assessors’ office.
Historical Millage Rates
The Jackson County School Millage Rate of 15.395 was tentatively set for the Fiscal Year 2025 in August of 2024 by the Board of Education. The vote marked the third consecutive year the BOE lowered the school millage rate, which was 15.495 for the Fiscal Year 2024. The 15.395 is now the lowest millage rate in over 20 years.
The Jackson County School System does hold a bond millage rate of 2.6 for previous general obligation bonds previously used by the system to pay for school facilities that include East Jackson Comprehensive High School, Gum Springs Elementary School, South Jackson Elementary School and the new Jackson County High School.
Millage Rates Timeline
The school system and Board of Education must wait until the tax digest is finalized in late July and early August before calculating the rollback rate and adopting a final budget. Historically, this takes place at the August Board of Education meeting. If the adoption of the millage rate leads to a tax increase, then the Board of Education must hold budget hearings for the public The final budget is approved in September.
How do I figure School Tax?
School Tax is estimated by the approved millage rate set by the Board of Education in conjunction with the assessed value of a residence, which is determined by the Tax Assessor's Office.
Example: If a residence is valued at $400,000 (fair market value). The assessed value of the property is 40% of the fair market value. In the case of a $400,000 residence, the assessed value is $160,000.
With a 15.495 millage rate for the Jackson County School System, a resident pays $15.495 per $1,000 of the assessed value ($160,000 in this example). In the case of a $400,000 fair market value residence, the school tax would be $2,479.20.
What is School Tax Used For Each Year?
School tax is revenue for a local school system. The money brought into the Jackson County School System through the local school tax is used to pay salaries of employees, fuel costs for transportation, maintenance and operations of school buildings, and other related costs to the system.