SCOTT CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT KEEPS TAXES ON EVEN KEEL

SCOTT CITY -- Enrollment growth enabled the Scott City School District to retain experienced teachers and have the highest starting teacher salary in the region, even as it laid claim to the lowest tax rate among districts that support high schools in Cape Girardeau or Scott counties.

Superintendent Roger Tatum said the 1998-99 school year "was a good one" for his district of 1,017 students. He credited the district's strong showing on its annual report card to a three-year gain of 140 students.

The district has been able to maintain a $2.75 property tax rate for several years, a level equaled only by Kelso School District, which is a kindergarten to eighth grade school district.

The tax rate is well below the state average of $3.53.

Scott City schools also saw their assessed valuation increase some $7 million, which increased the district's local revenue.

"This is through a combination of greater enrollment, better attendance, all-day kindergarten and summer school," said Tatum. "When you plug 140 more students in the foundation formula, that generates more dollars for you. It allowed us to keep our salary schedule up and do capital projects without a tax increase."

Scott City teachers had an average salary of $31,791 last year, somewhat lower than the state average of $34,806. First-year teachers with no experience received $24,250, a $250 increase over the previous year.

The average salary was higher than most surrounding districts. Tatum attributed the difference to his district's broad salary schedule that includes a number of veteran teachers.

The average years of experience for teachers in the district last year was 17, two years more than the state average.

"We have very low turnover. Our turnover is mainly by retirement," Tatum said. "We're fortunate enough even sometimes to be able to hire teachers from other schools, even though we don't recruit that way."

The Scott City Middle School, which opened two years ago, was built without a tax increase under a lease-purchase agreement. The district used money set aside for capital projects and some reserve funds to complete the building, which is already nearing capacity enrollment.

This could mean another building addition in the district's future, said Tatum. Voters could be asked to finance the next proposal with a bonding issue.

"We're looking possibly at another building issue within the next two to three years," he said. "I think we're still looking at growth. The middle school building completed two years ago is already full and we built four additional rooms at that time."