JACKSON VOTERS REJECT SCHOOL LEVY HIKE

JACKSON -- By a margin of 57 percent to 43 percent, Jackson School District voters Tuesday rejected a 35-cent increase in the district's tax levy.

Jackson school officials weren't alone in their inability to convince voters that additional funding was needed for their district.

Five area school districts Tuesday sought tax increases, with two districts, Perry County and Advance, also seeking approval of school bond issues.

But only Advance voters with a 70 percent approval passed a $350,000 bond issue and a 38-cent operating levy hike. The bond issue passed by a vote of 518 to 216, and the levy hike was approved by a vote of 505 to 227.

In Jackson, voters rejected the tax levy increase 1,632 votes to 1,220. Superintendent of Schools Wayne Maupin said the defeat is a blow to the school district that now will have to make "serious cuts."

"It's going to have an impact on what we do next year," he said. "We've been making some reductions in the '90-91 and current school year, but we're getting to the point now where we're going to have to make some major cuts.

"I don't know where those cuts will be made. That's a decision that will be made by the board in conjunction with some other organizations. But they'll be serious cuts."

Maupin said it is too early to tell whether the district would put the measure before the voters again soon. He attributed the tax increase failure to an inability to convince voters that the levy increase would abate fiscal crisis in the district.

Declining state aid is the primary reason for the current financial pinch in the Jackson School District, Maupin has said. The district already has shifted money from its general fund to a special fund earmarked to compensate for a projected $200,000 budget deficit.

The increase would have raised the property tax to $3.55 per $100 of assessed valuation, but due to roll backs required by Proposition C, the total levy would be about $3.19.

"Basically, I guess we simply didn't work hard enough at it," Maupin said Tuesday. "We really didn't get out and convince our patrons that we really have some bona fide financial needs, which is especially important when you have a growing school district."

The superintendent also blamed a general "anti-tax sentiment" for the measure's failure.

"Some senior citizens I've talked with today said they've had enough taxes, and that was part it I think," he said. "I can't really blame them."

Maupin said voters apparently weren't convinced that the district's financial needs are genuine.

"We felt like we were going for a minimal levy increase a survival-type increase," he said. "Evidently we didn't convince our patrons of our needs.

"Now, we'll just go back to the drawing board," Maupin added. "We're going to take what money we've got and do the best we can with it. That's all we can do."

In Perryville, voters also rejected a 19-cent increase in the school tax levy and narrowly defeated a $4.9 million bond issue that would have funded building improvements and staff additions for the Perry County School District.

The tax levy failed by a vote of 2,132 votes for the increase and 1,875 against.

The bond issue was approved by 52 percent of the voters, but needed a 57 percent margin to pass. Rejecting the bond issue were 1,920 voters, while 2,106 voted in favor of it.

The increase of 19 cents in the school tax levy would have funded two teachers' and one counselors' salary and building maintenance.

Approval of the $4.9 million bond issue would have allowed the district to borrow that amount of money to pay for an overhaul of school buildings and some additions to buildings.

Voters in the Delta School District rejected a 61-cent tax hike to fund two major building repairs by a vote of 246 to 173.

The tax measure would have funded construction of a new roof for the elementary and high school buildings and replacement of the heating system at the elementary building with a heating and air-conditioning system.

And in Meadow Heights, a 98-cent tax hike that would have meant only a 49-cent increase on tax bills also failed by a vote of 509 to 434.

School officials have said that without a levy hike, school programs totaling $113,000 will have to be cut.

Only Advance School District was successful in its effort to pass a school tax hike and bond issue, which made Superintendent Terry Pearcy "very happy" Tuesday night.

The bond issue required a four-sevenths majority for passage, while the tax levy proposal needed a simple majority.

The bond issue will finance construction of additional classrooms for the elementary school. The operating levy hike will be used for improvements and repairs to school buildings, replacement of school buses and the purchase of other equipment and supplies.

"We are very happy," said Pearcy. "It was a great community effort, and I really think it will result in progress for the community and the school system.

"I feel like the voters made an informed decision," added Pearcy, who explained an extensive voter-education campaign was waged prior to the vote.

Pearcy said approval of the funding measures won't alleviate all of the district's financial concerns, but "it's a good start.

"We will begin immediately on finalizing plans and meeting with our architect and getting our educational plan together," he said. "Our levy is not for icing on the cake it is to maintain and keep current our programs that we have."

Mark Bliss, E.J. Rotert, Jay Eastlick and Julie Bollman of the Southeast Missouri staff contributed to this story.