Levy Likely For District

WAITSBURG - Thi s Wednesday night, the Waitsburg School Board will be deciding whether to place a levy on the Feb. 14, 2012, ballot asking voters to pay $882,000 over two years to maintain school programs and facility operations.

Last Wednesday, the board directed Dr. Carol Clarke, district superintendent, to prepare a levy resolution for the board to vote on this week.

The levy is a maintenance and operations levy that would run for two years if approved, and would replace a current maintenance and operations levy.

If approved, the district would collect $435,000 in the 2013 collection year, and would cost residents $3.62 per $1,000 assessed property value. The second year of the levy would bring the district $447,000 for the 2014 collection year and cost residents $3.72 per $1,000. Clarke noted that these are the current tax estimates from the county.

Board Chairman Ross Hamann said the tax rate could reduce as property value is re- assessed each year.

With the levy money, the district pays for textbooks, athletics, activities, employees, science materials, technical support, full-day kindergarten and general maintenance and operations of the district's facilities.

For the current levy that is expiring, 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.

The board has decided that these new totals, and that the $12,000 increase the second year of the levy, are all necessary because of the increasing costs related to operating and maintaining the facilities and programming each year.

Hamann said the board is estimating that costs to run the facilities and programs will rise about 3 percent, and these numbers are based on that estimate.

"This is never easy," Hamann said. "It wasn't an easy discussion (last week)."

In fact, Hamann said it took the board members 90 minutes to hash out all of the details of this proposed resolution.

The board will have its final say on the proposed levy resolution Wednesday, Dec. 14 at its board meeting.

If the levy is approved by the board, it will have to be in to the county before the end of December to make the deadline for the February Special Election .

Hamann said because it was discussed so thoroughly last week, he anticipates the board passing the resolution quickly on Wednesday night.

"We felt that we would meet the needs for the district (with these amounts)," he said.

Clarke is expecting strong community support for the measure as the district has always seen in the past.

She said she is still worried that the Legislature will cut levy equalization funding or more, but this levy will put the district in a more stable place.

"This is no promise, but greater assurance that programs can continue as they have," she said. "Please support us."