KELLY MAY SEE SIXTH BALLOT ON BOND ISSUE

BENTON, Mo. -- Voters in Kelly School District could consider their sixth funding proposal in three years if a group of bond issue proponents gathers enough public support.

The Builders for Tomorrow Committee will sponsor an open meeting at 6:30 p.m. Monday in the high school band room. The committee campaigned in support of the district's $4.9 million bond issue to build a new high school, but it failed during November elections.

Organizers want to explore ways to ease overcrowding in the district and to recommend a course of action -- which could range from a funding proposal placed on April 3 ballots to doing nothing -- to the school board. A lack of space has limited the district's class offerings, caused larger class sizes, and forced school officials to use portable classrooms.

"We really want the negative opinions -- people with any opinions -- to come out," said committee member Ron Schlosser. "The school board's pretty much turned it over to us."

Schlosser said the committee hopes opening the meeting to all residents in the district results in a funding proposal the majority of voters will support. Between 47 and 50 percent of voters have supported bond issues during five previous elections, but a 57.14 percent supermajority was required for passage each time.

Voter opinion varies

Although several home and business owners acknowledged the crowded classroom conditions, they said they doubted voters would support a future proposal any better than they'd done in the past.

"You just have people that, when it says taxes, they vote no," said Virginia Glaus, who owns a small farm in the district and has voted in favor of previous school funding proposals. "We have so many people that are living in trailers and they don't pay any taxes, and their kids are going to school, and that's what is crowding our schools."

Allan Jackson, a home and business owner in the district, has not supported previous measures but said he would probably support a scaled-back funding proposal. He said additional local taxes should be unnecessary because there are "millions and millions of dollars out there" in state riverboat and lottery proceeds that are supposed to benefit schools.

Jackson said property owners already carry a large tax burden, and school officials should consider other ways to address funding problems, including possibly merging with a neighboring school district.

"I understand the mentality of keeping a certain attitude or ethnic group together and that's all well and good, but when it becomes a burden I'm not willing to pay for that either," he said.

Board of education President Rita Milam said she understands the public's aversion to additional taxes, but they must recognize students are the ones who suffer from lack of space. Kelly schools have a strong reputation in the region that will suffer should overcrowded conditions persist, she said.

"I just wish people would get involved more with the school. Then they could see the need more and hopefully someday it will pass," said Milam.

New funding needed

Schools Superintendent Don Abner said the district has seen a significant and consistent growth in enrollment in the past decade that has been accommodated largely through the use of portable classrooms to house overflow classes.

Additional classrooms would enable the district to offer more sections of existing subjects and more advanced courses, including journalism and advanced chemistry and calculus.

"Our curriculum is good, but there are some areas we would like to add classes if we had the space," Abner said.

The district has used existing funds to make some improvements. Last year, the school board used balances in its capital improvements fund -- which can only be used for facility repairs and improvements and maintenance and equipment expenses -- to construct a new vocational agriculture building and remodel the old building into additional classroom space.

But Abner said voters will have to approve additional funding at some point in the future because the district cannot afford to support any more building improvements using existing funds.

"What the public wants is certainly up to them, but as an administrator, you have to say we still need this," said Abner. "Our situation has not changed."