MEASURE COULD BENEFIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Most school districts in Southeast Missouri have learned to get by on tight budgets and limited resources because they are approaching their debt limit.

But a constitutional amendment could allow almost 400 school districts in the state to increase their bond debt from 10 percent to 15 percent.

Voters will decide the issue Aug. 6. The Missouri National Education Association and Missouri School Boards Association have endorsed the measure, known as Amendment 2.

Although Oran schools don't have any construction projects planned in the near future, the district will benefit from the amendment if it passes, said Superintendent Tom Anderson.

"We are near capacity and if we need a building project, we can ask the community to issue bonds," he said. "There's more leeway if we need it."

Although the district is "pretty well set" with its current buildings, the district could ask for more money through a bond if there was a need, Anderson said.

The bond debt of a school district is based on the assessed valuations of property in the community. Because many smaller, rural districts have low assessed valuations, they aren't able to raise the money needed for large construction projects.

At the current rate of 10 percent, Oran schools could only ask for $1.2 million in bonds, which isn't enough to cover the cost of a school building, Anderson said.

"You're limited to what you can build," he said, adding that construction costs have risen without any change in the law.

Because many rural districts are already at their current bond debt, they can't ask for additional money to alleviate overcrowded classrooms or repair old buildings. Almost 400 districts will be affected by the amendment; about 20 of them are in Cape Girardeau, Bollinger, Perry and Scott counties.

Advance Public Schools in Stoddard County is in the midst of a school construction project and won't be affected by the amendment, said Superintendent Jerry Robison. "We are not bonded to capacity," Robison said.

However, the district could increase its bond debt if the amendment passes. The district is funding its current project through a $1 million bond extension and alumni fund-raising activities.

Area districts and Amendment 2

Of the 400 school districts affected by the amendment, 22 are located in Southeast Missouri. Those districts:

-- Advance

-- Altenburg

-- Bell City

-- Thomas W. Kelly at Benton

-- Bloomfield

-- Campbell

-- Caruthersville

-- Chaffee

-- Delta

-- East Prairie

-- Kelso C-7

-- Leopold R-III

-- Meadow Heights R-II

-- Nell Holcomb

-- Oak Ridge

-- Oran

-- Portageville

-- Puxico

-- Scott City

-- Scott County Central

-- Woodland

-- Zalma