Caledonia Argus

School board amends operating levy term to five years

Posted: 10/30/02

by Andrew Miller
Argus News Reporter

The ISD #299 school board reconsidered its decision to set the operating levy at ten years, opting instead for a five-year term.

The board voted unanimously to amend the duration of the levy at an October 28 meeting called by District Superintendent Jim Tool. After initially setting the ten-year term at a meeting on October 21, input from the Referendum Steering Committee indicated that the public would not support a ten-year levy, thus prompting the board to reconsider.

ìThe most vocal part of what I was hearing was a poor reception to the idea of ten years,î Tool said at Mondayís meeting. ìI thought maybe we needed to take another look at that.î

Miles Miller of the Referendum Steering Committee addressed the board on Monday, conveying that, though a ten-year levy would better serve the districtís financial needs, it would likely be turned down by voters.

ìPeople in focus groups indicated theyíd support a five-year referendum, so we encourage you to reconsider the action youíve taken and lessen the term of the referendum to five years,î Miller said in his address to the board. ìWe need to listen to what the community has stated to us, and the message weíre receiving is that the referendum is going to be turned down purely on the 10-year issue. Youíre better off trying to do it in two five-year bites rather than a ten-year bite.î

Though the board agreed to defer to public opinion, there was some concern among board members that a five-year levy would not entirely resolve the districtís financial situation. Charlie Wray noted that by opting for a five-year levy, many of the programs the board had decided to fund when the levy was initially conceived of as lasting ten years couldnít be funded under the five-year term. Bruce Bulman stated that the shorter levy ìwonít get us where we need to beî financially, and Suzanne Roesler noted, ìwe need to be upfront that this (the five-year term) is not going to fix everything.î

Board member Barb Hurley suggested that perhaps a compromise could be met between the publicís desire for a five-year levy and the districtís financial need for a ten-year levy. She had the board entertain the notion that the levy be set at seven years. Since an approved levy this December will guarantee matching funds from the state (47% of the total cost) for whatever duration the levy is set at, having a seven year levy, as opposed to five years, will guarantee two more years of state funding, whereas if the board tries to renew a five-year levy five years down the road, the state may no longer be offering such sizable matching funds.

Despite these concerns, the overarching sentiment among board members was that a five-year referendum approved by voters is better than a 10-year referendum rejected by voters. Board member David Klinski voiced the consensus reached by the boardñ ìWe as an elected board are public servants, so if the public wants five years, weíll go with five years.î

See page 9 for more information on the operating levy.

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