(Jackson) The Jackson County Central School District will ask voters to answer two questions as the Levy for Learning will be on the Nov 4th ballot. Interim Superintendent Dr. Mike Neubuch says state funding hasn’t kept up with inflation over the last 20 years.
“If it did, we would have one point four million dollars this year from state funding. That, and we wouldn’t be asking voters. Unfortunately, we win. Our finances and state finances don’t meet up our revenues and and as everybody else in their own homes, you know, have the expenses that are going up and so forth. And as we understand, it’s hard. The problem is, is we can’t raise, um, you know, fifty cents on a hamburger to make more money. It all depends on our students and some of our other funding from the state.“
There will be two questions on the ballot. The first question is on the Operating Referendum and Dr. Mike Neubuch explains…
“One of them is an operating referendum and operating does for anything like lights, staffing, benefits, insurances. We Can use that for just our operating and that is right now there is an operating for $460 dollar per students, but it goes away in three years at sunset. So we’re asking our voters to revoke that and then go out for $360 dollars more. So $820 dollar per students that will bring in about six hundre, the two questions together will bring in about $670,000 to the District.”
Dr. Neubuch talks about question number 2 which covers the Capital Projects Levy.
“The other question is a two hundred and fifty thousand dollars capital project levy, and those are things that we can use on capital projects, things like security technology. We can use it for, um, curriculum and many different items that right now our general fund is either financing and you take it out of our savings account, our general fund, um, or we just have had to not go without it. We’ve had to not get the computers we need or not get some of the upgrading on the cameras or upgrading the PA system.“
Dr. Neubuch discusses the tax implications for residents within the school district.
“On an average home value in Jackson is what we’ve been told is about $200,000. So an average home, if both questions pass, it would be $170 for the year or about $9.22 per month. That for the people who have agriculture land it’s for 10,000 acres, its 44 cents per acre for the year.”
For more information on the levy you can go to jccschools.com/levyforlearning
