St. Joseph voters set to decide proposed 61-cent increase in school levy

By BRENT MARTIN

St. Joseph Post

Voters in the St. Joseph school district will decide a 61-cent tax increase tomorrow.

St. Joseph School Superintendent Doug Van Zyl says the increase in the school levy is needed to stabilize the district’s finances. He says public opinion polling indicates voter favorability falls with anything larger than 65 cents.

“And it’s still probably going to be close the way it is,” Van Zyl says. “People don’t necessarily like to pay taxes, but 61 cents generates for us what we feel comfortable being able to say will at least get us through the five-year sunset portion of this.”

The levy increase does have a five-year sunset provision. Again, Van Zyl indicates any school tax increase won’t pass without a sunset provision.

The increase is projected to general $6.5 million. The district proposes using the money for teachers and staff, security upgrades, and operational costs.

Voters soundly rejected a proposal to increase the levy by $1.15 in November of 2017. More than 70% of the voters cast “No” ballots in that election, perceived by many as a referendum on past financial problems at the district.

St. Joseph School Board President Seth Wright says the district understands it must repair its image and a sunset clause is designed to be a step in that direction.

“Sunset clauses are really about accountability,” according to Wright. “We have a trust and credibility problem at the school district. There is no other way to put it, except to be a straight shooter about that and this is part of that plan to try to rebuild that trust and credibility over the next five years.”

Van Zyl says a 61-cent increase will allow him to address some issues on the stove top.

“Right now, there are just so many pots on top of the stove I can’t get them all to the front burner,” Van Zyl says. “This allows us to stabilize that and start addressing some of those things, behavioral issues and academic issues and attendance and the age of our buildings and the things that we need for safety and security above and beyond this.”