Bowling Green City School Board to consider property tax increase for school safety measures

BOWLING GREEN Ky. – Monday night the Bowling Green City School Board of Education will be meeting to discuss a property tax increase.

If passed, the current rate of 82.8 cents per $100 of assessed value will go up to 84.3 cents.

The increase is being discussed because of the need for funding to meet the standards of the Kentucky School Safety and Resiliency Act, a new law that became effective shortly before school started.

The legislation, also referred to as Senate Bill 1, requires all Kentucky schools to have safety resources such as school resource officers, school-based health services including mental health and front office security checks. The state is not providing funds for these resources.

Superintendent of the Bowling Green City Schools, Gary Fields, said the tax increase is critical for the safety of the students.

“We feel like the things that we need to do to make sure our kids are safe on a daily basis, and the regulations set out in Senate Bill 1 are critical. Our community is so supportive of local education, and I feel like they understand the needs for these upgrades as well,” Fields said.

The meeting will be held at the Bowling Green City Schools Board of Education at 6 p.m. Monday.