SCHOOLS LOOK TO JUNE BALLOT ISSUE

Cape Girardeau voters will be asked on June 7 to approve a full waiver of the Proposition C rollback, resulting in a 37-cent property tax increase that would net Cape Girardeau public schools more than $2.75 million in new local and state money.

The board of education passed a resolution Monday to place the issue on the June ballot as the first of a two-part plan.

The second part comes in November when the board is planning to ask voters to approve a bond issue for construction of a new elementary school building.

The new local money generated from the waiver, about $1.13 million, would be used for maintenance, repairs and capital improvements of existing buildings.

An additional $1.61 million in state money would be used to reduce class size, add technology and for compensation.

Senate Bill 380 rewards districts for increasing their local levies by kicking in added state dollars.

"We are dedicating the local funds to maintenance items," said board President John Campbell. "This would give us money to maintain the buildings we have. It also has the by-product of additional state funds."

Campbell said the $1.13 million in new local money would be used for items such as seismic retrofitting of buildings, replacing equipment, air conditioning, roof repairs and computer labs.

"I think we could spend this $1 million a year for 10 years and still have needs not met," Campbell said.

He added that a specific list of improvements will be generated prior to the vote.

Waiver of the Proposition C rollback requires a simple majority to pass.

According to Business Manager Larry Dew, the annual additional cost to a homeowner with a home valued at $58,300 would be $40.96.

Currently the district's tax levy stands at $3.24, but 37 cents of that is refunded to taxpayers according to the state Proposition C formula. Voters pay $2.87, explained Dew. The board of education is asking voters to restore the $3.24 tax levy.

More than 200 school districts have already approved waiving that rollback, most to reach the minimum tax levy set out in Senate Bill 380.

A second round of rollback issues is appearing on ballots as other school districts look for ways to increase revenues. Mehlville and Ritenour school districts in the St. Louis area are among other schools looking at Proposition C rollback waivers.

"Senate Bill 380, as it is now, does not help Cape Girardeau," Dew said. In fact, revenue projections through 1996-97 are essentially flat.

In the 1992-93 school year, the district received $2.93 million in basic formula state aid. By 1996-97 the total is expected to be $3 million.

If voters approve the waiver, the total for 1994-95 increases to $3.6 million. For 1995-96 it's estimated at $4 million and for 1996-97 at $4.5 million.

The state basic formula would increase by $817,965, money planned for class size reduction and compensation.

In addition, Dew said, an estimated $796,650 becomes available to be spent on at-risk programs, including reducing class size and adding technology.

In response to a question from board member Lyle Davis, Campbell said the district tax rate in 1969 was $3.85, including a debt service payment.

The board sent a proposal for an early retirement incentive program to its finance committee for review. Before doing so, a motion was approved 5-2 stating that if an incentive program was considered, it would include all retiring teachers, including those who have already announced retirement.

Board members Steve Wright and Kathy Swan voted no. Wright said he thought the proposal should be an incentive for additional personnel to retire. Swan felt the vote was premature because the finance committee will be looking at the proposal.

Following a closed session, the board voted to employ tenured teachers for the 1994-95 school year.