The Benjamin Logan School District board of education is to consider options regarding a tax levy for the spring ballot.
Following the failure of a 1.5 percent earned-income tax levy on the November ballot, the board is seeking a way to provide funding for the school district.
“The reality is we have got to pass this levy,” said Superintendent Dave Harmon during Monday evening’s regular meeting.
Treasurer Mandy France agreed.
“This levy that we need to do here — which we definitely need to do — it keeps the children of Benjamin Logan getting what they deserve,” she said.
Harmon presented three options for the board to place a tax levy on the ballot in the spring.
The first option was the same 1.5 percent earned-income tax which has a new value it will generate — $3.7 million.
The district requires a levy that will generate $3.34 million, Harmon said, so the tax will generate a little more than necessary.
Although this option may look familiar to voters who decided that option was not for them, it has a new stipulation — an end date.
The language for this option changed from being a continuous levy to a five-year levy.
“It is in response to a very clear message our voters sent us with a 65 percent no vote,” Harmon said. “One of the things that didn’t feel right for the community was that the prior version was unending — it was a continuous levy. This language is for a five-year levy … Putting an end date on it is going to get additional votes.”
The second option was for a traditional tax based levy which is also a five-year levy.
This means more things will be taxed, Harmon explained.
Unlike the earned-income tax levy, retirement benefits are not protected with this option.
But there is a lower percentage rate to generate the necessary amount of dollars.
A 1.25 percent traditional income tax will generate $3.6 million.
That is the amount Harmon said he would suggest for the board.
A 1.5 percent traditional tax based levy generates $4.4 million, $1 million more than the district needs.
The third option, which Harmon said he did not recommend, was a millage-based property tax.
In order to generate the amount of money the district requires, Harmon said the millage would have to be 10.8 mills which would generate $3.4 million.
No matter which option the board chooses, Harmon said the board has already identified a list of $1 million in cuts the district will face if the levy does not pass in the spring.
“Reductions in 2021, 2022 and 2023 would be absolutely devastating to the school district,” he said. “The goal is not to focus on reductions, but see how to get folks out to vote yes to this while being responsible and respectful to what the voters did tell us.”
The board tabled the decision for the Monday evening meeting, agreeing to meet in special session to discuss these options Tuesday, Dec. 3, at 5 p.m.
The next regular session is Dec. 16.
The board also approved the following:
• the resignation of Kristina Vogel, assistant to the treasurer, effective Nov. 8;
• a service agreement between the district and the Midwest Regional Educational Service Center for payroll services;
• the resignation of Julianne Stanley, bus aide, effective Nov. 8;
• cafeteria worker Jessica Gibson and cafeteria and custodial workers Laura Wallace and Megan Contreras as classified substitutes for the 2019-2020 school year;
• high school cheer coach for varsity basketball Christina Shotts and elementary school yearbook advisors Kyra Fry and Samantha McPherson as supplemental extra duty personnel for the 2019-2020 school year;
• and the volunteer services of Krista Jackson, boys and girls high school indoor track and field assistant coach, and Jeff Wical, boys high school indoor track and field assistant coach.