JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD DECISIONS EXPECTED TONIGHT

JACKSON, Mo. -- The Jackson Board of Education will decide tonight whether to ask voters to approve a bond issue and tax increase during general elections in November.

Schools Superintendent Dr. Ron Anderson said the school board will consider three separate proposals, but any or none of the three could be placed on the ballot.

The board must decide before Aug. 29 whether to place the issues for consideration during Nov. 7 general elections. The school board will meet at 7:30 p.m. at the board office, 614 E. Adams.

A tax rate hearing will be held prior to the meeting. No change is being proposed to the existing tax rate of $3.21 per $100 assessed valuation during the hearing.

Two of the issues are proposed increases in the operating levy, which is used to cover the majority of the district's day-to-day expenses. Residents currently pay an operating levy of $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation.

In the first proposal, voters would be asked to approve a full elimination of the Proposition C rollback. If approved, taxes would increase by about 27 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

Proposition C is a 1-cent sales tax approved in the early 1980s to provide additional money for schools. The tax is collected statewide and distributed to schools on a per-pupil basis. For each $1 the district receives, 50 cents is used to fund schools and 50 cents is used to lower (roll back) property taxes.

The school board could choose to seek a 13-cent operating tax increase in addition to the full waiver of Prop C money. This proposal, which was overwhelmingly defeated by voters in both April and August elections, amounts to a 40-cent operating tax increase.

Anderson said he included both operating increase options on the agenda so the school board "would have some options." He said he has talked with a number of district patrons in recent weeks regarding what should be done to win support of additional operating funds, and answers have differed with each conversation.

Anderson said the Prop C waiver would not be enough to fully address the financial crunch the district faces as it attempts to manage a 10-year growth trend.

"It's a short-term fix. That hasn't changed," Anderson said. "A few people have said maybe we need to make a compromise somewhere to try to get it done. They recognize it's short term and hate to do that, but they recognize we might need to do it."

The school board also will decide whether to seek voter approval of a $6 million bond issue that has been rejected in some form in two recent elections.

On Aug. 8, an identical bond issue that would have funded upgrades at R.O. Hawkins and new technology for the district received 54.9 percent of votes, not enough to gain the four-sevenths approval that was necessary for passage.

Voter response to the proposal was much better than in April, when a $5.3 million bond issue that would have funded construction of a new elementary school in the eastern portion of the district, an addition and renovations to the junior high and some new technology equipment throughout the district received 50 percent voter approval.

Anderson said it could be two years before the district would be able to make improvements at the junior high if the bond proposal is not passed in November or April elections.

State law requires a four-sevenths supermajority, or 57.14 percent of votes, in the general and municipal elections. But if the measure appears in any other election prior to April 2002, a two-thirds supermajority, a little more than 66 percent, will be required for passage.

"Passage would be highly unlikely at that rate," said Anderson.

Anderson said he expects a larger-than-normal number of attendees at the meeting, which is open to the public. No one has contacted school officials regarding their intent to address the board, although a period for public comment is set aside at every board meeting.