By Times staff
SOUTH WAYNE - Voters in the Black Hawk school district are being asked to approve a $250,000 recurring referendum Nov. 4 for operational expenses.
The district is looking to use the additional money for a bus, a purchase that was put off last year, and for updated computer technology, District Administrator Willy Chambers said. The district purchased 50 new computers this year, and is looking to get on a schedule of regular computer upgrades.
The referendum will also allow the district to maintain the present level of instruction, Chambers said.
"We tried to adjust the budget," he said. "We've just run out of options."
The district has made several staffing cuts since 2011, including reducing custodial time and eliminating positions for an elementary teacher, special education teacher, cook and school psychologist/director of special education, for a savings of more than $376,000. Since then, the district has added back one elementary teacher, an aide position, an athletic director and contracted for school psychologist services for a total cost of $114,000. The net difference between staff cuts and staff additions is $262,000.
The recurring referendum means the referendum does not have an end date. The referendum allows the district to exceed its state-imposed revenue cap by $250,000 each year. This year's revenue cap is $3.96 million; if the referendum passes, the district can spend that amount, plus $250,000. Chambers said that $250,000 is not compounded every year; that is, the referendum does not allow the district to increase the revenue cap by $250,000 the first year, and then an additional $250,000 over that the following year for a net increase of $500,000, and so on.
If the referendum is approved, the estimated tax rate for the 2014-15 school year will increase to $11.09 per $1,000 of valuation, a 9.6 percent increase over this year's tax rate of $10.12. Under that scenario, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $1,109 for school taxes instead of $1,012.
If the referendum does not pass, the district estimates next year's tax rate will drop 5.1 percent to $9.60 per $1,000 of value. The owner of a $100,000 home could expect school taxes to drop from $1,012 this year to $959 next year.
The district previously passed a three-year non-recurring referendum in 2007 after an initial attempt to pass a recurring referendum failed. Attempts to pass both a recurring and then a non-recurring referendum failed in 2010, Chamber said.
Chambers encouraged district residents to attend an information meeting about the referendum at 7 p.m. Monday in the Black Hawk School Commons. More information is also available from Chambers or school board members.
SOUTH WAYNE - Voters in the Black Hawk school district are being asked to approve a $250,000 recurring referendum Nov. 4 for operational expenses.
The district is looking to use the additional money for a bus, a purchase that was put off last year, and for updated computer technology, District Administrator Willy Chambers said. The district purchased 50 new computers this year, and is looking to get on a schedule of regular computer upgrades.
The referendum will also allow the district to maintain the present level of instruction, Chambers said.
"We tried to adjust the budget," he said. "We've just run out of options."
The district has made several staffing cuts since 2011, including reducing custodial time and eliminating positions for an elementary teacher, special education teacher, cook and school psychologist/director of special education, for a savings of more than $376,000. Since then, the district has added back one elementary teacher, an aide position, an athletic director and contracted for school psychologist services for a total cost of $114,000. The net difference between staff cuts and staff additions is $262,000.
The recurring referendum means the referendum does not have an end date. The referendum allows the district to exceed its state-imposed revenue cap by $250,000 each year. This year's revenue cap is $3.96 million; if the referendum passes, the district can spend that amount, plus $250,000. Chambers said that $250,000 is not compounded every year; that is, the referendum does not allow the district to increase the revenue cap by $250,000 the first year, and then an additional $250,000 over that the following year for a net increase of $500,000, and so on.
If the referendum is approved, the estimated tax rate for the 2014-15 school year will increase to $11.09 per $1,000 of valuation, a 9.6 percent increase over this year's tax rate of $10.12. Under that scenario, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay $1,109 for school taxes instead of $1,012.
If the referendum does not pass, the district estimates next year's tax rate will drop 5.1 percent to $9.60 per $1,000 of value. The owner of a $100,000 home could expect school taxes to drop from $1,012 this year to $959 next year.
The district previously passed a three-year non-recurring referendum in 2007 after an initial attempt to pass a recurring referendum failed. Attempts to pass both a recurring and then a non-recurring referendum failed in 2010, Chamber said.
Chambers encouraged district residents to attend an information meeting about the referendum at 7 p.m. Monday in the Black Hawk School Commons. More information is also available from Chambers or school board members.