Residents in the Iowa Valley Community College District will see their tax rate on the college end drop 7 cents for the 2013 fiscal year if the proposed budget is approved.
The preliminary budget was presented to the IVCCD Board at its meeting Wednesday in Marshalltown and would move the tax levy rate from $1.96 per $1,000 valuation to $1.89.
If approved by the board in March, it would mark the third straight year that the levy rate would drop for residents in the district that includes Marshalltown Community College, Ellsworth Community College and Iowa Valley Grinnell.
"It looks like we've set a pretty positive trend for that," said Iowa Valley Chief Financial Officer Kathy Pink.
Iowa Valley Chancellor Chris Duree also seemed pleased to announce the third consecutive rate drop saying it "has to be viewed as good news for all of our patrons."
Other numbers not so positive for the district were released to the board and those were the spring student enrollment figures for Iowa Valley colleges.
MCC currently stands at 2,025 students, which is down 2.5 percent from last spring and ECC saw a bigger decline in students at 5.6 percent.
"We had anticipated about a 5 or 6 percent drop in enrollment and budgeted for it," Duree said.
The board also approved the substantial completion of the Education and Training Center renovation and addition work. The Church street facility provides English as a Second Language and GED classes and has experienced a growth in enrollment, which resulted in the need for more space.
The Iowa Valley board will take a look at the new space as it meets there during its next regular monthly meeting at 4 p.m. March 14.