(Spirit Lake)– Residents of the Spirit Lake School District will likely vote again later this year on a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy.
The school board discussed the possibility of putting the measure back on the ballot–perhaps as early as this coming December.
The district’s patrons earlier this year defeated a proposed PPEL that would have amounted to an additional $1.34 per thousand dollars of valuation for 10 years.
While the concensus Monday evening was to go ahead with another vote, the only question is what amount. Board member Scott Wicks said he wasn’t prepared to settle on that as of Monday night, saying he wanted to review some information first. Fellow board member Todd Hummel agreed.
Interim Superintendent Doug Latham said a PPEL at a rate of one dollar per thousand dollars valuation would generate slightly more than 8.6 million dollars over 10 years, of which the district could borrow against 6.9 million. A PPEL at $1.34 per thousand dollars valuation would generate slightly more than 11.5 million over 10 years, of which the district could borrow against 9.2 million.
Latham said the proceeds would be used for numerous projects, including the purchase of a third wind turbine, technology support for K-12, a synthetic surface for the football field along with new bleachers and track; to lease three buses a year; a new kitchen in the Middle School and work on some locker rooms.
In addition, Latham said the PPEL would help ease yet another financial crunch the district will face as the proceeds it receives from the Local Option Sales Tax will drop by roughly 50 percent once the statewide sales tax goes into effect.
The board will discuss the PPEL proposal further at its meeting in September.
