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Serving Lincoln County for more than a century!
Levy moves to local vote in February
REARDAN – The school board approved a replacement educational programs and operations levy of $2.00 per $1,000 of assessed property value at its Nov. 18 meeting. The levy will go on the ballot for a vote Feb. 9, 2021.
The three-year levy would be a decrease from the current rate of $2.08 per $1,000 of assessed property value. However, the $2.00 figure is an educated estimation detailing the total ask, which is what voters will be deciding on, according to school staff.
The replacement levy, which would take over for the present levy expiring at the end of 2020, would commence in 2021 and run through 2023. The district would collect $1,300,112 in 2022 from the 2021 levy, $1,358,617 in 2023 from the 2022 levy and $1,419,755 in 2024 from the 2023 levy.
This year, the district will collect $1,300,462, so the 2021 collection amount would actually be a slight decrease before steadily climbing back above the 2020 figure in 2022 and 2023.
Levies are disbursed in a calendar year, not an academic year.
The total collection amount will be what is collected if the vote passes in February, meaning the $2.00 could fluctuate to meet demands. In 2017, the board approved a $1.50 levy that eventually rose to the present $2.08 figure to account for collection of the total amount.
To avoid a similar situation, finance director Justin Flaa said he and Superintendant Eric Sobotta tried to be more conservative than that year’s planning when evaluating growth rates within the district contributing to property value.
“We anticipate property values will grow,” Flaa said. “(But) when they set the last (levy), they anticipated property values would grow at a faster pace then what they actually grew…it is hard to predict, so this go-round we felt the need to be really conservative. We don’t want the taxpayers thinking “oh, we’re paying $2.00,’ then come to find out, it’s a higher rate. We don’t want the taxpayers having the perception that we’re asking for one thing and getting another.”
The money would go into the school’s general fund and provide for several school functions, including staff such as a school nurse, counselor and psychologist. Extracurricular activities, like athletics, after-school clubs and activities are also funded through levies, as would technology and intervention programs.
“The message we want to send to the community is that we recognize the times that we’re in. This is to fund or maintain, not add, fund or maintain current programs,” board chair Jeff Anderson said.
Sobotta said the local levy currently accounts for about 13% of the school’s overall operating budget, noting that state funding isn’t enough to fund the district’s operating costs in full.
“What the state is (funding) regarding school nurses and psychologists is so minimal, as well as student and staff safety,” Sobotta said.
“Without levy funding our district services, opportunities and options for students would look significantly different,” he added.
Different, in this case, could mean cuts to staff and extracurricular activities.
“We’d have to re-evaluate a number of our staffing positions,” Sobotta said.
One-year capital improvement plan approved
Flaa presented a draft of a five-year capital improvement plan at the board’s Oct. 28 meeting. After further discussion at its Nov. 12 workshop, the board decided on a scaling back of that plan, and Sobotta presented a slimmer, one-year capital improvement plan Nov. 18 that the board approved.
In the plan $155,000 will go to payment four and five of five payments due for the district’s northeast expansion property. $85,000 will go to security updates and fencing. The district will also commit $15,000 to walkways and irrigation modifications and look for $20,000 in partnership funding for a $35,000 total. The district is also committing $20,000 toward a district/community reader board in town in partnership with the booster club, STCU, Avista and AgLink.
Total district general funding transferred to the capital improvement plan will be $275,000. The plan also says the district will pursue options to replace the high school boiler, but there’s no funding commitment yet.
The plan also says the district will commit $300,000 of the capital projects fund equity balance to payments two through five of the expansion property. Remaining capital projects funds can be used toward the elementary/Smith gym re-model and portable move project. All other projects are considered closed, according to the planning document.
Tillman approved as emergency response technician
The board approved the hire of Brandon Tillman, who began work Nov. 19 and is working Monday-Thursday as an emergency response technician. Tillman, who is working in a temporary, non-continuing position for this school year, will be responsible for assisting with COVID-19 disaster response, school security and related tasks.
Tillman’s position will not come in a partnership with the town. Police chief Andy Manke had suggested a potential partnership where the district hired a position that would be shared in partnership with the town to council in October, but the district opted to hire Tillman and make his main focus emergency response amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Operating a school district during a pandemic can be extremely challenging and with the addition of this position, we are hoping to keep everyone as healthy and safe as possible,” Sobotta said.
Drew Lawson is the editor of the Davenport Times. He is a graduate of Eastern Washington University.
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