The district is considering an emergency renewal levy and a new levy, according to Superintendent Paula Crew.
The levy assessment, which is a $11,500 contract, began in April. The company surveyed around 200 people and collected data on potential levies and levy types that voters might support.
“It’s not a high likelihood that folks on this survey would pass a levy,” Crew said at Tuesday night’s meeting.
Crew said she does not “feel ready to make a recommendation” regarding levies until they can see the five-year forecast, but did say the district needs to put the renewal emergency levy on the ballot.
Emergency levy funds go directly into the district’s general fund to pay for day-to-day operations such as salaries, benefits, utilities, instructional material and supplies, and academic programs.
The current emergency levy, first approved in May 1982, generates over $700,000 and was last passed Nov. 8, 2016 for five years, according to the district’s website. A renewal for this levy would be needed this year.
The district also has a combined emergency levy, which was first approved in February 1987 and May 1995. It generates a combined total of $2,106,398 and was last passed Nov. 5, 2019, the website stated. A renewal for this levy would be needed in 2024.
“I hate to ask our community for more money… because they need it,” Crew said.
Crew said she recommends they should wait to see the five-year forecast before they can determine if they will put one or both levies on the ballot. She said the district is also in the process of getting together a levy committee to help decide.
“We got a road ahead of us, but I think we can do it,” Crew said.
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