The USD 446 Independence Board of Education votes to exceed the revenue neutral tax rate and approves the 2026-2027 school year budget. 
 

The vote came in last night’s Independence Board of Education meeting. The total mills of the proposed budget is 45.355, a projected increase of 0.471 mills from the 2025-2026 budget. 

 

In other business, the board approved the purchase of 35 new smartboards to replace older-model BenQ boards that began failing at high rates during the 2025-2026 school year. BenQ boards are 4K touchscreen displays that allow teachers and students to interact with lesson material. Each new smartboard will cost $2,450. 

 

The next USD 446 Independence School Board meeting will be on October 12 at 6:00 pm.