PERRYVILLE SCHOOLS PLAN BOND ELECTION IN JUNE

PERRYVILLE -- For too many years, the Perryville school district hasn't had enough extra money to add classroom space or expand its buildings.

But the Perryville Board of Education hopes voters will change that in June.

The board recently approved a two-pronged plan that would allow voters to consider related bond issues. An election is planned for June 8.

The first bond measure would allow the district to eliminate a rollback on its operating levy. The second would ask voters to raise that levy by 72 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

That means the district would be able to receive more tax money through state-funding formulas.

And the district could raise it's tax levy from $2.70 per $100 assessed valuation to $3.42 per assessed valuation to help pay for a three-phase building project.

That increase would let the district remodel some buildings and expand others with needed classroom space for computer labs, special education and early childhood programs.

When Missouri changed its formula for funding schools, Perryville didn't get as much money as it needed to keep up with growth.

"We are still dependent on state aid," said Dr. Rex Miller, district superintendent. "But we have received less state aid and no new tax money."

If the bond issues pass, the district will have money to add to a building fund already held in reserve.

"If it passes, then we don't have to borrow," Miller said.

The district plans to expand its middle school to add eight new classrooms and remodel other high school buildings to create bigger classrooms.

"We haven't had a growth of students, but new programs," Miller said.

The district's enrollment is about 2,400 students, with nearly 900 at the high school, 800 at the elementary school and 700 at the middle school.

"At one time it was accepted that you stack them deep and teach cheap, but nowadays you want good scores and have to keep the sizes down."

In some classrooms, particularly laboratory courses at the high school level, class size tops out at 32 students.

"It's difficult for even the best teacher to accomplish something," in that setting, Miller said.

Another facet of the plan would increase teacher salaries. Because Perryville has been operating on the one of the lowest tax levies in the area, it hasn't raised its base pay scale to match that of other Southeast Missouri districts, Miller said.

"We are convinced that one of the key elements to having a good district is staying competitive," Miller said.

While the salary increase wouldn't match up to those of neighboring districts, it would help attract new staff.

The Perryville school board has tried to come up with a sufficient building plan that would contain all the elements needed by the district. It has been a long-range project for nearly a year.

Originally the building plan called for constructing a new high school, but that price tag -- at $15 million -- was more than the board wanted to pay.

Instead, their plan calls for expanding existing buildings and remodeling others to alleviate crowded classrooms, Miller said.