Prescott Puts M&O Levy On Ballot

PRESCOTT - The Prescott School District is asking for $585,000 each year in 2013 and 2014 in a maintenance and operations levy to keep the district's buildings and programs up and running.

The school board approved the levy amount for the Feb. 14 ballot that is expected to cost taxpayers $2.39 per $1,000 of assessed property value the first and second years of the levy. The current levy, passed in 2010, expires in December 2012. The current levy costs residents $2.60 per $1,000 assessed value.

Because of cuts in staffing and preschool last year, Superintendent Bill Jordan said the district is lucky to only ask for the exact amount that was asked for in 2010, the $585,000, despite increases in utility costs. Because residents are still feeling the effects of a tough economy, he said the district is happy to not need to ask residents for more.

"This is not the right time to ask our citizens (for more)," Jordan said.

The levy money from taxpayers covers about 16 percent of the district's programs and services including the school library, health clinic support, employee training, classroom materials, physical education, music, sports, food services, facility and grounds maintenance, technology and increased utility costs.

"We've been very fiscally sound," said Pam Stueckle, the vice president of the Prescott School Board. "We need to maintain the level of education."

Jordan said the district has already made efficiencies in how it purchases what it needs by contracting out special education services. It also reaps benefits and cost-savings through the co-op for sports programs with the Waitsburg School District.

Last school year, staff was reduced. The district did not replace two certified teaching positions and 2.5 full-time classified staff positions. One staff member who retired in the spring was not replaced.

Also, one year ago the district decided to close its preschool because the number of children enrolled was low, likely because of preschool programs offered elsewhere, Jordan said. The preschool had only been open for two or three years.

"(Preschool students) were probably going elsewhere," he said of the low enrollment. "It just was not a reasonable thing for us to continue."

Jordan also believes that because levy money is advertised as helping kindergarten through 12th grade students that levy money should not go to fund preschool programs.

With no large facilities improvements on the horizon,

Jordan is optimistic that the residents will turn out to vote and pass the levy. Cutting $585,000 out of a $3.5 million budget "would be catastrophic," he said.

If voters don't approve the levy on the Feb. 14 ballot, he said the district will likely run the levy again with the hope that it could obtain more "yes" votes. But, with the past support shown by the community, he doesn't really think that will need to happen.

"I have a good feeling of support for Prescott Schools," he said. "The need for local funds to sustain hellip; the everyday work of a school district is critical."

Stueckle urged all residents to get out and vote for the levy and show they care about the schools just like when they cheer for the excellent sports teams.

"We've had such strong community support," she said. "Every child deserves this education."