The special election for a school bond issue has been put on hold. For now. USD 257 board of education members met for a special board meeting Monday afternoon to discuss the pros and cons of taking time with a bond issue for new facilities.
Monday afternoon Governor Sam Brownback signed a school funding bill that addresses the gaps in funding between poor and rich districts. The board was originally shooting for a June election because there was fear they would lose a bond and interest payments match from the state. The state pays 49 percent of a bond that a district takes out as well as what it pays in interest on those funds. Board members unanimously decided to rescind the resolution they passed in March. This gives the board more time to explore their options.
The initial bond was for $35 million. Funds would help build a new elementary facility and help maintain the existing Iola High School and middle school. Knowing that the bond aid is secure, board members discussed building a new high school as well.
“If we were to add the high school it would be $50 million,” Superintendent of Schools Jack Koehn said. “We would use $1 million of that to maintain the middle school.”
The previous idea was to move sixth grade to the new elementary school, which would accommodate all elementary students. This would mean only two grade levels would be at the existing middle school building. Many board members have wondered if a city sales tax could be worked into the funding mix.
The existing mill levy for Iola schools is 52.37. Under the new state finance laws, the property tax for schools would be lowered to 44.37 mills in 2015. If voters approved the new school project, that it would be an additional 19.68 mills. Combined it would make the proposed levy 64.05 mills.
For the owner of a home valued at $50,000, the increase in property taxes would be $67.
In postponing the election, the board says goodbye to $1.2 million in funding which ends July 1. USD 257 qualified for $670,000 for two years to help furnish new facilities. That funding has been eliminated in the new school finance bill.
“They want to explore the city sales tax and we now have more time to do that,” Koehn said. “We will lose the new facility funds but if that’s the tradeoff then that’s what we have to do. It’s a larger benefit.”
Along with setting up meetings with the city council, board members would also like to talk with school districts in Liberal and Salina. Liberal, USD 480, recently passed a $127.865 million bond issue. The construction relies on Liberal city sales tax revenue and USD 480 property taxes. Salina voters approved a $110.7 million bond issue this month.
In other news, the board extended a contract to Jason Marciano as an elementary school principal.
