Waitsburg Looks At M&O Levy

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg school board will consider at its next meeting how much to ask the local taxpayers for to keep the district up and running in 2013 and 2014.

The district has a current maintenance and operations levy that fund basic operations, programming and even personnel at the district. The district brought in $410,000 in 2011 by taxing residents $3.41 per $1,000 of assessed property value. In 2012, the district will receive $422,000 and cost taxpayers $3.51.

Dr. Carol Clarke, the district's superintendent, said she is recommending the school board put a replacement maintenance and operations levy on the Feb. 14, 2012 ballot to keep covering basic district costs. Now the question is, how much should the district ask for? The board will be discussing the amount at its board meeting on Wednesday, Dec. 7 and it is expected to give Clarke some direction. The amount must be submitted to the county by Dec. 30 to make it onto the February ballot.

With the current levy money that will provide its last payment to the district in 2012, Clarke said it pays for instructional materials in supplies, such as a new social studies textbook that cost the district $28,000. The levy also helped pay for $3,300 worth of science materials.

Another large chunk of the money funds the district's technical support through the Education Service District for $25,000 a year.

"My work is my computer," Clarke said. "We have to maintain connectivity."

Another significant area funded by the money is for full-day kindergarten.

Because the state only covers half-day kindergarten costs, Clarke said the district paid $43,000 this year to give students better early education.

"Without the maintenance and operations levy, that could be in jeopardy," she said.

The money pays for staffing for kindergarten as well as some classified staff, administrative staff and teachers as well.

Finally, the money received from the taxpayers funds the district's extracurricular activities, including the sports programs, FFA and other clubs and after-school activities.

"Sports activities keep our students engaged in healthy, leadership-type activities," Clarke said.

It cost the district $120,000 in 2011 to keep extracurricular activities and sports up and running, not including transportation.

"What better way to utilize dollars than to support kids?" she said.

Because it would mean significant cuts to these areas in the district if the levy didn't pass, the board is focused on picking a number that meets the district's projected needs as well as number voters can afford and support.

Right now, the board and Clarke have all eyes on the special session to get any hints of additional cuts to come over the next two years that would affect how much the district is going to need from taxpayers.

"As tenuous as things are around the budget, every little detail e can pick up helps us formulate our situation," said Ross Hamann, the chairman of the school board.

Hamann said not much has happened so far in the special session and they simply don't have any clues yet as to what cuts will go through, only ideas about a couple of proposals.

" We're just very concerned," he said. "We want to approach this very carefully."

One item on the chopping block is levy equalization money for smaller districts that provided $232,000 to Waitsburg's district this year. Clarke said if levy equalization is cut, they would need help from the taxpayers to bridge the gap.

There is also talk of reducing the number of school days for the state by five and reducing the amount of money granted to small high schools, she said. Clarke encouraged community members to sit in on the board's Wednesday meeting.

"We would love to hear from the community," she said.

Clarke said the community has always shown its support of the district, and invests not only money, but time as well. The task at hand is picking an amount the district and taxpayers are happy with.

"The greatest investment is in the youth of the nation and the youth of our community," Clarke said.