LINKS

TAX INFORMATION

HOW DO I LOOK UP A WAYLAND-COHOCTON SCHOOL TAX BILL?

School tax bills are public information, and the database with this information can now be accessed via the internet. WCCS Tax Bills

WHEN WILL I GET MY SCHOOL TAX BILL?

Typically by September 1, individual tax bills are printed and mailed to land owners. If you don’t receive your bill by September, you can print a copy of your bill from the database link above or contact the school tax office.

WHEN ARE MY SCHOOL TAXES DUE?

School taxes are billed annually; you will only receive a bill in September. No reminder will be sent out. Tax bills can be paid from September 1, 2022 through Sept. 30 without penalty. Payments received in person, online, or postmarked Oct. 1, 2022 or later MUST include penalty. The last day of tax collection is on October 31, 2022 (including checks made with insufficient funds). Payments received after October 31, 2022 (including checks made with insufficient funds) will be returned immediately and deemed uncollected. The uncollected balance will be turned over to the county to be re-levied on the property tax bill in January.

WHERE DO I PAY MY SCHOOL TAXES?

NO PAYMENTS WILL BE TAKEN IN PERSON AT THE WC BUSINESS OFFICE. PLEASE SEE DIRECTIONS BELOW ON HOW TO MAKE PAYMENTS.

We have three options for paying school taxes:

1) By Mail To:

WCCS TAX COLLECTOR
PO BOX 163
WARSAW, NY 14569

2) In Person at any Five Star Branch, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m (September 1 - October 31)

3) Credit Card: Go to: WCCS Tax Bills Enter information to find your tax bill, click on Make A Payment.

Regarding the prepayment of taxes for Federal tax purposes

The district is not able to accept the pre-payment of taxes. The school district is not able to accommodate prepayment of school taxes for federal tax purposes. Final non-penalty payments of 2022-23 school taxes were due by September 30, 2022. Wayland-Cohocton is not able to provide estimated tax bills for 2023-24. The district will not adopt a budget and tax levy for that year until the May school budget votes.

Wayland-Cohocton is working with its school attorney on this matter but can share the following information that came from the New York State Council of School Superintendents regarding the Governor's Executive Order:

  • The order does not expressly authorize school districts to adopt tax warrants and issue tax bills in advance of adopting a 2022-23 school budget.

  • The Governor and his budget director explained that the action was directed primarily at local governments which operate on a calendar (January 1 – December 31) fiscal year. They acknowledged that facilitating pre-payment of property taxes may not be possible for most school districts.

Please do not hesitate to contact the District Office (585)728-2212 if you have questions about your taxes. You may also need to contact your local assessor for property information.

WHAT SHOULD I DO IF I FIND AN ERROR OR MISSING EXEMPTION ON MY TAX BILL?

If the error relates to the property assessment or exemption amounts, please contact the city/town assessor first.

WHAT IS THE STAR EXEMPTION?

ALL New York State residents who own their own homes can significantly reduce their school property taxes through a School Tax Reduction (STAR) exemption, regardless of age or income. But the savings is not automatic. You have to apply with your town assessor’s office by March 1 to be eligible for the tax break – and seniors who apply for the enhanced exemption must reapply each year. For more information about the STAR program, contact the assessor’s office in your town:

HOW ARE SCHOOL TAX BILLS DETERMINED?

School Decisions

The Wayland-Cohocton Board of Education decides on a TAX LEVY for the coming school year. This is the total amount of money that the Board determines will be needed to balance the school budget after State Aid and other revenue sources are taken into account.

The overall tax levy is projected before the school budget vote in May, but the school board can amend the levy if conditions change before tax bills are prepared in late August. For instance, when the New York State budget is late and the school board does not know how much income the district will receive from state aid, the projected tax levy can only be an estimate.

Town Decisions

The school district is comprised of parts of eleven towns: Avoca, Dansville, Fremont, Prattsburgh, Cohocton, Wayland, Springwater, Sparta, Conesus, Canadice, and Naples. In the spring, each town prepares a Final Assessment Roll for that year listing all parcels of property and the assessed value of each. Information from these rolls is shared with the school district in late June.

After a town-wide reassessment, nearly every parcel of land will have a new assessed value attached to it. In other years, only a few properties will have new assessed values, typically because they have been sold, subdivided, or the site of new construction.

State ORPTS

The State Office of Real Property Services (ORPS) attempts to “equalize” property assessments. It compares properties in each town and how they are currently assessed and calculates an EQUALIZATION RATE for each town. The equalization rate represents the state’s judgment of how closely assessed values in that town match the true market value of the properties.

Final equalization rates for our eleven towns are sent to the school district in August.

Calculations

In late August, the school district uses the total assessed value of land in each town and the state equalization rates to calculate the percentage of the school tax levy that must be paid by landowners in that town that year. In other words, the district first calculates each town’s portion of the overall school tax burden.

Each town’s portion of the tax levy is then divided by the total assessed value of land in that town to determine the school TAX RATE per one thousand dollars of assessed value for that town.

Individual tax bills are calculated using:

  • The assessed value of each land parcel.

  • Any applicable exemptions (STAR, disability or senior citizen).

  • The school tax rate for that town that year