DELTA DISTRICT SEEKS TAX HIKE FOR REPAIRS

DELTA -- The Delta R-5 School District is asking voters to approve a 61-cent tax hike Tuesday to fund two major building repairs.

Superintendent Larry Beshears said the levy requires a simple majority to pass. Taking into account the state's Proposition C rollback, Beshears estimated the tax increase would generate about $65,000 in additional money for the district.

Money from the tax increase would be used for two major repairs: a new roof for the elementary and high school buildings and replacment of the heating system at the elementary building with a heating and air-conditioning system.

"We want to emphasize that the Delta R-5 Schools are not bankrupt or nearly broke. We have a very reasonable reserve," Beshears said.

"We need to pass a levy increase to repair our elementary heating system and the roof," he said.

Without the additional money, the district would continue to operate. "Where we would run into a problem is if we had to make these repairs right away."

Beshears said it is inevitable that the 34-year-old heating system and the 34-year-old roof will have to be replaced.

School officials have held informational meetings throughout the district in an effort to bring their message to the voters.

"The meetings we have had have been basically positive. Hopefully we are answering the questions people have."

In addition to asking voters for more money, the Delta Board of Education has cut $40,000 from the school budget. The biggest cut is the elimination of one elementary teacher, at a savings of about $20,000.

The board has also restricted the number of athletic games played, probably eliminating one home game and one away game from each sport.

A part-time secretary will no longer be employed. The district is raising gym rental fees and admission charges and considering charging a fee for students enrolled in shop classes; $1,000 will be eliminated from the superintendent's budget; custodial staff will no longer receive uniform allowances and the gym floor will be refinished every other year instead of every year.

The district rebid its building insurance for a savings of $8,000.

Beshears said regardless of whether the tax increase passes, some of the cuts will stand. He said the board would like to reinstate the teaching position.

The tax increase proposal was developed by a citizens' group that met over the school year to determine facility needs for the district. The group looked at various possibilities, including constructing new buildings.

The committee determined that the more prudent approach was to fix the existing buildings.

Beshears said: "There are certain things that just have to be done if the district really wants to maintain its schools. We can wait until a crisis comes and we have to make the repairs, or we can make a plan to deal with the problems."

Beshears said the repairs are long overdue. "Some of these things should have been done in the past, but the district was not financially able to do them."