Taxpayers, officials meet to discuss tax levy for Altenburg School District

ALTENBURG, Mo. -- Nearly 40 taxpayers, parents and school officials of the Altenburg School District gathered at Altenburg School on Thursday night to discuss Proposition Safe Schools, a tax levy that would pay for a new school building.

A similar measure was brought before voters in 2010 but ultimately was defeated. The new proposal calls for a smaller levy -- 77 cents per $100 in assessed valuation, compared to 83 -- and will raise $1.9 million.

District superintendent Bleau Deckerd said before the idea was pitched to voters, the school board and a building committee, formed in 2011, worked together to more closely assess building needs, many of which focus on safety.

"I think I speak for myself and the staff when I say we take our students' safety very seriously," he said. "Up until now, we've had the luxury of most of our safety being delivered simply through living in a small town. ... that said, there are lots of dangerous situations throughout the country and they're moving closer to Altenburg."

Altenburg School is a kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school with a little more than 100 students and is split among four buildings on Main Street. According to Deckerd, that leaves a large problem with safety and accessibility.

After a mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut in December, he said, the Perry County Sheriff's Department assessed every school in the county, mapping and taking note of all outside entrances in the event of an emergency. Deckerd said the Altenburg School buildings have a total of 14 outside entrances.

"They told us we had one of the worst-case scenarios for a school district," he said. "Even though some of these doors stay locked at all times, not all of them can be well secured."

Children also walk from building to building throughout the day for classes, he pointed out, but combining all classes into one building would eliminate that concern.

Another safety measure that would be included in the new school building is a tornado shelter. Deckerd said this shelter would most likely take the form of a basement under the building, but the final design and materials that would be used still are being considered until the levy is approved.

The new school building, which would be placed on land owned by the school near Route C at the edge of Altenburg city limits, also would be set back further from the road to allow for a bigger parking area for parents driving through to pick up children after school.

The inside of the nearly 100-year-old main building also is a tight fit.

Roby Bowyer, a special-education teacher at Altenburg, said just fitting all of her students, including those who come from United Christ Lutheran School in Frohna, Mo., into her room is a challenge.

"Some of the kids have significant special needs and require one-on-one aides," she said. "So fitting in all the students with three or four adults, it's hard just to fit in that tiny little room. ... A new building is much needed, and this [proposition] is taking steps in the right direction."

Deckerd also said he wanted taxpayers to know the proposed levy, if passed, would sunset in 2032.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

8432 Main St., Altenburg, MO