Tax levy and student achievement reviewed
Where can the levy be reduced to lessen the impact on the school district’s taxpayers?
How can the school district improve student achievement?
These topics were tackled by the Staples-Motley School Board at their Oct. 17 meeting.
Tax levy options
At their September meeting the board approved their proposed tax levy at an 11.82 percent increase, the maximum amount allowed. The state requires a preliminary levy to be submitted by the end of September each year. After that time the levy can be lowered, but it cannot be increased.
Marci Lord, school business manager, and the finance committee developed three options for board discussion. All involve under-levying, which is levying less than the maximum amount. It also means less money is coming to the school district for that area.
Lord noted that seven areas could be under-levied. Those are Q-Comp, Reemployment Insurance, Safe Schools, Other PostEmployment Benefits (OPEB), Long Term Facilities (Equalized and Unequalized) and Building and Land Leases.
The committee prioritized and agreed that Safe Schools (liaison officers, cameras, security), Reemployment Insurance, and Building/Land Lease (Freshwater Education District, Community Center) should not be under-levied.
They also decided that under-levying the Long Term Facilities-Equalized again this year would not be in the district’s best interest. Aid from the state is slowly being increased to allow rural schools to catch up with the metro schools for building maintenance.
The first option would lower the tax levy to a 7.68 percent increase. It would under-levy QComp by $20,000 and Long Term Facilities-Unequalized, by $50,000. This option also includes $68,563.67 for OPEB which includes the cost for the 2015-16 retirees severance payment plus the 2016-17 new retirees severance payments and their insurance.
The second option would lower the levy to a 5.80 percent increase. In addition to the QComp and facilities levy reductions, it would under-levy OPEB by $31,792.66. That would cover the 2015-16 retirees severance payments plus the 2016-17 new retirees severance payments, but no insurance.
The third option would lower the levy to a 4.97 percent increase using the reductions already noted. The change would be in OPEB, reducing it an additional $14,148.50. This would only cover 2015-16 retirees severance payments.
Lord said the additional funds needed to cover OPEB costs would need to come out of the general fund.
That also applied to the Long Term Facilities-Unequalized.
“We have more projects to do than the money we will be getting,” Lord said.
Lord also noted that, if the district had not under-levied in some of these areas in the past, they would not be looking at the double-digit increase.
“We have delayed (maintenance) projects to save money,” said Mary Freeman, board chair. “That is not a good financial practice. We should ask the taxpayers to support the school. But I understand that a double digit increase is not what we want to see.”
The general consensus of the board was to go with the second option related to OPEB. The final decision on the rest of the levy will be made at the Truth in Taxation Hearing Dec. 19.
Student achievement
Superintendent Mary Klamm reviewed the student achievement data for the district as compared to 2016 statewide averages.
She noted that the Staples-Motley district has more special education students, more students on free and reduced meal plans and more homeless students than the state average. The district is far below the average for English Language Learners and for diversity with a population and is 90.7 percent white.
Math and reading proficiences are both lower than average. In reading proficiency the district scores a 51.7 compared to the statewide average of 60.9. The state average in math proficiency is also 60.9 compared to 49.7 in the district.
Klamm’s power point showed more detail for both math and reading showing that, while many scores have been rising slowly, they are still below state averages. While there were cases of specific classes scoring above average as they progress through the system, there were also cases where scores had dropped.
Klamm noted classes that consistently scored higher were due to the specific students in that class. She wanted to see higher scores for the same grade level over several years. That would mean the instruction was the reason.
One of Klamm’s achievement goals is to show a five percentage point improvement in both reading and math. Her plan to reach this goal is to provide staff with more time and professional development skills to learn and implement best-practice reading and math curriculums.
Another strategy is to help teacher integrate technology into their teaching and assessment plans.
In other business the board:
o Rescinded a motion from the September meeting regarding the Staples Community Center contract and approved a new contract with a lower cost to the district. The finance committee will meet with the superintendent and a city representative to develop a plan for future contracts.
o Approved the sale by bid of land that was the former location of the southside tennis courts.
o Accepted the resignation of Marci Lord, business manager, and Megan Martin, payroll clerk.
o Approved contracts for Jackie Tyrrell, Amanda Weishair and Matthew Holmquist as paraprofessionals; and for Taylor Marucha as a payroll, human resources and risk management clerk.
