KSHB 41 reporter Alyssa Jackson has been covering financial problems at the Hickman Mills School District. She explains two ballot measures aiming to provide a solution. Share your story idea with Alyssa.
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The Hickman Mills School District has been trying to fix its financial problems since transitioning leadership under a new superintendent, Dr. Dennis Carpenter.
On Tuesday, South Kansas City voters will decide whether to support two questions:
Shall Hickman Mills C-1 School District of Jackson County, Missouri board of education issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of $20,000,000 for the purpose of paying off certificates of participation and leasehold obligations of the District issued by the Hickman Mills C-1 School District Building Corporation and constructing, improving, renovating or demolishing, repairing, furnishing and equipping school facilities, throughout the District? If this proposition is approved, the adjusted debt service levy of the school district is estimated to decrease by $.30 from $1.10 (amount of current school district levy) to $.80 (estimated adjusted debt service levy) per one hundred dollars assessed valuation of real and personal property.
Shall the school board of Hickman Mills C-1 School District of Jackson County, Missouri be authorized to increase the maximum operating tax levy for salaries, building improvements and other operating expenses of the District by $.30 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation. If this proposition is approved, the adjusted operating levy of the school district is estimated to be 5.3517 per one hundred dollars of assessed valuation.
If this proposition is approved, it is expected to result in no increase to the overall tax levy of the District as the operating tax levy is estimated to increase by $.30 per $100 of assessed valuation and the debt service tax levy is estimated to decrease by the same amount.
The ballot measures give voters a chance to help the district make strides to improve their finances. KSHB 41 has reported extensively on a $14 million budget shortfall , the district is under a state audit and closed an elementary school and made staff cuts.
The school district isn’t planning to raise taxes, but it is trying to restructure how tax money is being used. The ballot measures must both pass to ensure a zero tax increase.
John Sharp, a volunteer for Committee for Better Schools and Neighborhoods, supports the levy transfer and general obligation bond.
"You can’t have good neighborhoods without good schools...the administration is really putting their house in order."
A general obligation bond is like a loan — the school district will use taxes to gradually pay back past projects and get out of the red. With the $0.30 debt levy transfer, Hickman Mills would increase revenue by $3.4 million a year for the operating budget, which includes salaries, according to the district.
Sharp said: "Our schools may not be as old as me, but they're sure older than you. We really need to renovate them and fix them up."
The levy transfer requires a simple majority while the bond requires a super majority of 57% or four-sevenths of the vote to pass.
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