Think of levy limits like a household budget with a strict income cap set by someone else.
Imagine your family’s monthly income comes from two sources:
A paycheck from your primary place of work (like state funding for schools)
Side jobs (like local property taxes)
Now, let’s say someone sets a limit on how much total income your family can bring in each month—even if your expenses go up. If your paycheck (state funding) goes down, you can’t just take on more side jobs (raise property taxes) unless you get special permission (a voter-approved referendum).
This means if groceries, gas, and utilities (teacher salaries, classroom supplies, and maintenance) all get more expensive, but your income stays the same, you have to make tough choices—cutting back on family outings, canceling subscriptions, or finding creative ways to stretch your dollars.
Another analogy:
In the words of a middle schooler, think of levy limits like having an allowance with strict rules.
Let’s say your parents give you $20 a week (like state funding for schools), and you can also earn up to $10 from chores (like local property taxes). That means you have a total limit of $30 per week to spend.
Now, imagine prices go up—snacks, video games, entertainment, and movie tickets all cost more. You ask your parents if you can do extra chores to earn more money, but they say, “Nope, your total limit is still $30.”
If you really need more money, you have to ask your whole family to vote on it (just like a school referendum). If they say yes, great! You get more money. If they say no, you have to cut back—maybe avoid social events as you can no longer afford the ride to get there or the price to participate.
That’s how levy limits work for schools. Even if things get more expensive, they can’t just raise taxes unless the community agrees to it. In the event that your parents pay for more, it still doesn't mean you actually got any more money, $30 was your limit.