Bellefontaine City Schools officials provided some insights at the Monday evening board of education meeting about the recent history of how district operations are funded and additional details regarding why the upcoming levy question being placed before voters in May.
EXAMINER GRAPHIC | STEVE SMITH
The district has proposed a $1,750,000 emergency levy that will appear on the May 7 ballot to fund operating expenses, which includes education programming, utilities, transportation, textbooks, student safety measures and improvements, building and grounds maintenance and cleaning, staff and classroom needs.
Superintendent Brad Hall and Treasurer Keith Krieger previously explained the term “emergency” designates that the levy is presented to voters as a fixed dollar amount, versus a fixed millage amount.
The amount collected from the levy does not grow as the years progress, even with new construction in the area.
An advisory millage amount of 6.2 mills for the levy will appear on the ballot, but the mills are adjusted annually to bring in the approved dollar amount, officials related.
The treasurer presented the historical funding overview for BCS, reporting that local real estate taxes currently account for approximately 29 percent of the revenue received by the district to cover day-to-day operating expenses.
He related that the district previously received two sources of local property taxes — real estate property taxes and personal tangible property taxes. However, the state began phasing out tangible personal property taxes, which previously brought in slightly more than $2 million a year, beginning in 2004, and 2012 was the final year for schools to receive those funds.
Krieger made note that the last time the district requested additional operating funds was in 2007, and since the passage of that emergency operating levy, “the district has experienced little growth in local real estate tax collections.
“Since the 2010 fiscal year, the district has only realized a net increase in real estate taxes of $257,000.”
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