SCHOOL OFFICIALS OFFER ANSWERS TO VOTERS' QUESTIONS

With just a month before voters head to the polls, Cape Girardeau School District officials hope to answer their questions about two ballot issues and the school district's new master plan.

Dr. Dan Tallent, superintendent, said his goal is that every voter head to the polls and make a decision, yes or no, on the proposed tax increases based on facts.

"If a person decides to vote no, and of course I hope they vote yes, I want it to be based on factual information, not speculation," Tallent said.

The school board is soliciting questions and offering information as a key component of the campaign.

Voters will decide the fate of two ballot issues: the sale of $14 million in bonds to fund construction of a new elementary school and vocational school and the waiver of the Proposition C rollback. If both issues pass, Cape Girardeau voters will see a 69-cent tax increase.

Starting March 1, two telephone lines will be open after hours to take questions. School officials will call back within 24 hours with an answer. If an individual needs the return call during a specific time, over the lunch hour or after 5 p.m., for example, that will be done, Tallent said.

Call 334-2816 or 334-2817 to leave a message on an answering machine. During the day, questions can be made to the school office at 335-1867.

In addition, people may call or write questions to the Southeast Missourian. The newspaper will publish a list of questions and answers periodically to help inform voters about the proposal.

"What I hope is that if someone is sitting home in the evening and has a question, they will call, or if they hear something and they are not sure it's true, call. If it is right, we'll tell you. If it's not, we'll tell you that too," Tallent said.

Questions And Answers

Q: What will Cape Girardeau school voters see on the ballot April 1?

A: Three items. First, voters will be asked to approve sale of $14 million in bonds. Second, voters will be asked to waive the Proposition C rollback. The two tax issues would increase Cape Girardeau's tax levy 69 cents, a 30-cent levy for the bond issue and a 39-cent increase from the Prop C waiver. And third, voters will be asked to select two of three candidates to serve on the Board of Education.

Q: What would the additional money be used for?

A: The tax increases will fund new construction, renovations and changes outlined in the first phase of a master plan.

Q: What is proposed for the first phase of the master plan?

A: Plans for the first phase include building a new elementary school, a new vocational-technical school, closing May Greene and Washington elementary schools and renovations to all the remaining school buildings.

Q: What is proposed for the second phase of the master plan?

A: A new high school would be built on the same tract of land as the vocational-technical school. The high school campus would include practice and playing athletic fields and parking lots. The five elementary schools would be changed to house grades kindergarten through four. The current junior high would be renovated for fifth and sixth grades. The current high school would be renovated for seventh and eighth grades. The old vocational school would be renovated for district-wide programs, administrative offices and warehouse space.

Q: How much would the second phase cost?

A: School officials would ask voters to approve a second $14 million bond issue to fund the second phase. The tax levy would remain the same. The 30 cents used to pay off the first bond issue would be continued to pay off the second bond issue.

Q: Where will the new vocational school be situated?

A: School officials hope to announce a location this week. They are looking for 80 acres. The new vocational school would be built on the tract and later a new high school would be built on the property.

Q: Where will the new elementary school be situated?

A: The school would be built on property the school district owns at Sprigg and Bertling. The school would be in the northeast corner of the property on the west side of Sprigg. The entrance and exit to the school would be off Sprigg.

Q: What does a waiver of the Proposition C rollback mean?

A: In the early 1980s, Missouri voters approved a constitutional amendment that initiated a 1-cent sales tax to provide additional money for schools. The tax is collected statewide and distributed to schools on a per-pupil basis. For each $1 the district receives, 50 cents is used to fund schools and 50 cents is used to lower (roll back) property taxes. Cape Girardeau's Proposition C tax rollback is 39 cents. If voters choose to waive the rollback, taxes go up 39 cents. The school gets to keep that money.

Q: How will property value reassessment affect the proposal?

A: Reassessment wouldn't affect the 30-cent tax levied to repay sale of $14 million in bonds. It would affect the school district's total tax levy.

1996 tax levy

$3.27 Voter approved tax levy ceiling

- .39 Proposition C rollback

$2.88 tax levy

1997 Tax Levy with a yes vote on April 1

$3.27 voter approved tax levy ceiling

0 Proposition C rollback

- .35 estimated reassessment rollback

+ .30 debt service levy to retire bonds

$3.22 tax levy

Q: How much will this cost, after reassessment?

A: This chart represents the school portion of the real estate tax after reassessment, not the total tax bill. It is a sampling from the county assessor's office of average-priced houses in listed neighborhoods.

House locations

Alma Schrader

Suburban Heights

Woodland Hills

Clippard

East Rodney/Charles

Westfield Subdivision

Keystone/Summit Estates

Franklin

S. Henderson/Hanover

Sunset Area

Oak Hills/Oak Lei

Jefferson

Jefferson/Cousin/S. Park

Montgomery Brinks

White Oaks Estates

May Greene

South May Green School

S. Sprigg/S. Pacific

S. Spanish

Washington

Red Star/Water/First

North/Bellevue near SEMO

Sylvan Lane

Reassessed Property Value

$70,000

113,000

375,000

50,000

87,000

350,000

25,000

111,000

172,000

37,000

50,000

305,000

17,000

25,000

140,000

12,000

162,000

230,000

Increase

$135

203

510

86

150

513

39

130

196

50

89

409

15

35

228

16

243

260