NATCHEZ — The Natchez Adams School District will host a public hearing on Tuesday, June 24, on its proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025-2026.

The budget proposal includes increasing ad valorem tax effort by 3 percent, from $14,384,162 to $14,815,687, possibly affecting the taxes that county residents pay for their homes, automobile tags, business fixtures and equipment and rental properties.

The public hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on Tuesday at the NASD Administrative Building at 10 Homochitto St.

The district’s projected budget revenue in fiscal year 2024-2025 is $88,594,329. Of that amount, 16 percent or $14,384,162 is financed through ad valorem taxes.

Even with a requested 3 percent increase in tax effort, the proposed budget reflects a decrease in revenue to $72,665,992, of which 20 percent is proposed to be financed through ad valorem taxes. The increase in tax effort may result in an increase in the ad valorem tax millage rate.

The millage rate is adopted by the Adams County Supervisors.

The decrease in budget revenue is largely because, in the past, the budget had been inflated by money allocated to the school district in the federal CARES Act fund during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In recent months, the district learned it will have to account for a $2.8 million deficit caused by capital outlay projects it had paid for while planning for those expenses to be reimbursed by the COVID-19 relief funds.

However, with a freeze placed on funding any remaining allocations to school districts, the district is having to appeal to the Department of Education with the hope of regaining those funds.