School administrators hoping for 'yes' votes in Advance, Meadow Heights

Superintendents in the Advance and Meadow Heights school districts say they are cautiously optimistic about voter turnout and how the vote will come out on their ballot issues in today's spring election.

Advance is asking voters to authorize a 25-cent increase to the operating tax levy, now at $2.75 per $100 assessed valuation. The higher tax levy would generate about $72,000 annually to help maintain current programming without deep budget cuts, according to superintendent Stan Seiler.

"I think it will be close, but I'm hopeful," Seiler said of today's vote.

The measure's opponents say the tax issue is not prudent in a difficult economic climate.

Stoddard County voters will have the biggest voice in the multicounty school district, with some 1,650 registered voters. There are about 70 to 80 registered voters in Bollinger County, and another approximately 50 in Cape Girardeau, according to Seiler.

Voter turnout, so far, is reportedly running heavier than normal in a spring election.

Voting reportedly wasn't as robust in the Meadow Heights School District this morning, where the school system is asking voters to approve borrowing $600,000, "without an estimated increase in the current debt service property tax levy." The district's debt service levy would remain at 35 cents per $100 assessed valuation under the borrowing plan, with no effect on property taxes, officials say.

While there would be no tax increase, the borrowing plan would effectively replace the previous debt and, as it stands today, take the district longer to pay off the total debt load.

The funding would be used to cover school maintenance, school buses, security and other facilities needs.

"The feedback from the people I'm talking to seems pretty positive," said Meadow Heights superintendent Rob Huff, "but you don't know until they count the votes."

Bollinger County is down to two polling spots today; typically there are five places in spring elections, Huff said.

There are just a couple of registered voters in Cape Girardeau County included in the Meadow Heights School District.

Look to semissourian.com for election-day updates.

mkittle@semissourian.com

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Advance, MO

Patton, MO