CAPE SCHOOL BOARD PLANS JUNE, NOVEMBER ELECTIONS

The Cape Girardeau Board of Education is looking for a two-part tax issue, with one vote planned for June and the second for November.

At a work session Monday night board members said they would like to see on the June ballot a request to waive Cape Girardeau's 37-cent Proposition C rollback. That money would be used, in part, for maintenance.

In November, the board is looking at an $8 million bond issue to build a new elementary school at the Sprigg and Bertling site. That $8 million bond issue translates to about 25 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

New elementary school boundaries would be drawn before the November vote.

The board is scheduled to formally vote on the measure at it's March 21 business meeting.

More than 200 school districts in Missouri have waive the property tax rollback that is part of Proposition C. Most of those districts voted on the waiver because Senate Bill 380 required that the districts raise their tax rate to at least $2.75.

Cape Girardeau voters currently receive a 37 cent rollback on their property tax as a result of Proposition C.

If voters waive that rollback, an additional $1.125 million in local money would be generated annually, Board President John Campbell explained.

Business Manager Larry Dew added that when the increased tax levy is applied to the new state funding calculations, Cape Girardeau school stand to gain $700,000 in money earmarked for at-risk students and about $900,000 to it's minimum guarantee.

In all, the rollback could mean about $2.7 million.

The money, by law, must use some of the money for at risk programs, some for the teacher's fund and some for the incidental fund, said Superintendent Neyland Clark.

Money to the incidental or operating fund would be used for maintenance and repairs.

"We've heard people say take care of what you have," said Board Member Lyle Davis. "We can't do it with 8 cents. We just can't do it. We're swimming upstream and the water is moving faster than we are."

The district currently has 8 cents of its tax levy generating about $200,000 a year for building maintenance and repairs.

The elementary building proposal calls for a new 500-student elementary school for grades kindergarten through six and an addition to Jefferson Elementary School, Clark explained.

Those 37 new classrooms would replace classrooms now in use at Washington and May Greene.

Clark said elementary district boundaries should be redrawn before the vote on an elementary school.

"It takes a tremendous amount of work to redraw district boundaries," Clark said.

In addition, school districts have two election dates, in April and November, when a 4/7 majority would pass an issue. At other election dates, districts need a 2/3 majority.

"I think it is imperative to have a 4/7 vote," Davis said.

The Proposition C rollback waiver needs a simple majority regardless of when it is on the ballot, Clark explained.

Board members briefly discussed holding the two elections on the same date, but opted to separate the issues.

If the Proposition C waiver is approved in June, money would be available for the next calendar year.

However, administrators said they would be hard pressed to complete the redistricting by the June election date. Plus, in June a 2/3 majority would be needed.

"After the two other propositions before the voters and the communication we've had with citizens, this seems to be what they've told us to do," said Campbell. "And I agree."