PERRYVILLE: VOTERS TO DECIDE SCHOOL PROJECTS

PERRYVILLE -- School officials and patrons are finalizing plans to get voter approval of a 72-cent tax levy increase that would help finance maintenance, renovations and new construction for Perryville schools.

If approved it would be the first property tax hike since 1974.

Board members, long-range committee members and school administrators with the Perry County District 32 School District have been meeting for nearly two years to develop a comprehensive building plan that would handle all the district's needs.

A special election will be held June 8 to get voter approval of two measures that would increase funding in the district by about $1,476,000 annually.

The funding would finance renovations and construction at the middle school, general maintenance repairs and salary and other budget increases.

The first issue on the ballot would allow the board to eliminate the tax levy rollback in the operating levy. Voters also will be asked to increase the current operating levy of $2.70 per $100 assessed valuation to $3.42 per $100 assessed valuation.

Board members estimate tax revenue would increase by nearly $1.5 million annually if the measures pass. An additional $992,000 in reserve funds would be used in the first phase of the two-pronged plan.

"For years the district has been trying to find additional space to ease overcrowding, not necessarily because enrollment has grown, but because of new programs, many of which are state-mandated," said assistant superintendent Rick Francis. "Many of these repairs are ticking time bombs of things that if we don't replace now, when they go out will be even more of an expense to replace."

Last year board members considered building a new high school and redistributing elementary and middle school enrollment through the existing buildings. That plan was nixed when its nearly $15 million price tag was deemed too high to gain voter approval.

After reworking the plan several times, the school board agreed in November to go forth with its latest proposal.

In the first phase of the proposal, $1.2 million would be earmarked to finance construction of eight new classrooms and renovate other rooms at the middle school. Another $336,000 would be earmarked for general repairs throughout the district based upon a prioritized maintenance list that has been prepared. An additional $454,000 would be set aside to cover salary schedule increases and costs for new personnel, as well as other budget increases.

In the second phase of the plan, $600,000 would be earmarked for renovations and continued maintenance, and to maintain the salary schedule for staff.

Francis said the present plan is a good one because it doesn't incur new debt for the district and could result in increased state funding. In addition, because each phase of the plan would last only about one year, future boards of education would not be restricted in how they prioritized spending.

"We've made plans of exactly where every penny will be spent in the first two years, but it is not the wish of this board of education to tie the hands of future boards of education," said Francis. "Plans are to continue to assess those needs and keep the community involved in our schools to help decide where the money will best be spent in the third year and in future years."

Both measures on the June 8 ballot must be approved by a simple majority vote.