The board met last Thursday to set their tax levies for 2007-2008, which is done annually. School boards can set the levies to raise revenue up to four percent higher than the previous year without subjecting it to a recall vote. However, they are required to hold a public hearing. Although the board set aside an entire hour for public comment, the only person who spoke at the hearing was former board member Marc Terrell, whose wife, Joan Terrell, replaced him in January.
“I just came to express my opinion that it is a minor increase for keeping our kids at the forefront,” Terrell said. “I’m willing to pay a little extra for our kids to get a good education; my parents were willing to pay extra and so were their parents.”
Terrell said that some would argue, for example, that the schools don’t need as much in the way of athletic facilities, but he said he would argue that those are part of the entire school experience. He then thanked the board for their time and went on his way. After Superintendent Tim McGinnis spoke about reasons the district needed the additional four percent, the board adjourned for about forty minutes before reconvening at 8 p.m. for the scheduled special called meeting in which they voted to set the levies.
McGinnis listed at least eight reasons why the district couldn’t afford to collect less than four percent additional revenue this year. He said that state-mandated salary increases for certified and classified staff would add more than $700,000 to the district’s expenditures each year. He said that fewer teachers had been retiring lately, which also didn’t help the district save.
For the rest of this story, read this week's Cadiz Record.
