SCHOOLS LOOK TO VOTERS FOR MORE FUNDING

New taxes in the Oak Ridge and Scott City school districts met with success this week. Both passed with more than 60 percent of the vote. That's generously above the 57.14 percent standard for school bond issues in Missouri.

At a time when news about the economy isn't always good, it's inspiring to see communities get out and support their schools. Both districts have seen steady growth over the past decade, and patrons of those schools saw the need to provide support for new construction.

Scott City voters approved a $3.5 million bond issue to build 20 new classrooms, a multipurpose building and a new industrial technology building, to turn the old industrial technology building into an elementary school expansion and to remodel the current elementary multipurpose room into a classroom.

It will cost taxpayers in the Scott City district an extra 49 cents per $100 assessed valuation.

Oak Ridge voters approved a $1.95 million bond issue for a new middle school and multipurpose building, which means a 30-cent tax increase.

And now comes the Cape Girardeau School District with its request for an increased levy.

This issue differs from the others in one big way. The district wants a 58-cent increase in the school levy. It's not a bond issue. The proposal, as it stands, would take the levy to $3.99 from $3.41. There is a possibility the amount requested will be less, provided county reassessment and the state legislature come up with more money than anticipated.

The idea is to generate $19 million over the next five years, primarily to bump teachers' salaries up to the level of the rest of the area and state, but for others things too.

The district is seeing its biggest building and renovation boom in decades. There's the new Blanchard Elementary School. A new career and technology center. A new Central High School is under construction. Students at Schultz and Central Junior High will be reconfigured to fill the old high school, which will require some renovations.

All of this new space must be maintained, and that costs money.

The tax issue is going on the August ballot. Voters will be asked for a 49-cent increase in the levy, but it's really 58 cents because they would lose a tax rollback.

Cape Girardeau's school officials would do well to look to the north and south and see how their neighboring districts had such success in this economic climate. They'll find much of success was based on communication with voters, and district superintendent Dan Steska is to be applauded for already opening those lines.