I did some investigating and found out that the school board of the Moooresville School District (Mooresville, NC) does set a school tax rate that is in addition to (and separate from) county property tax. It is my understanding that the Mooresville school board was given permission to do this by the State Legislature in the 1920's and this is still a source of funding for that school system. Has anyone heard of any other school boards in North Carolina having this "power?" Elizabeth

That's interesting. It seems like a reasonable option to enhance school funding. I wonder if the general public is aware that this is in place since it has been around since the 1920's.

I doubt that anyone knows that this is possible. It wouldn't be popular in my county but it would make everyone take the board of education elections more seriously.
Paula

The general public is not aware that the special school tax exists. The way that I first found out about it was from my grandmother's brother who pays the school tax. The school tax is one of the reasons that Mooresville schools did not join Iredell-Statesville schools when they merged in the early 1990s. It is my understanding that if Mooresville had joined Iredell-Statesville Schools, they would have lost their "school tax."
Elizabeth

Hi ladies! Still no word from the school board assoc. re allowing school boards to levy taxes but I'm almost positive that other locations allow it. My main concern would be having TWO organizations with taxing powers! It would mean a whole different relationship between county commissioners and school boards. An entirely new set of dynamics would exist. My tax rates might go out of sight!