Cardinal school asks voters to extend PPEL

ELDON ?Cardinal Community School District officials are asking voters to extend the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy in a special election set for Dec. 7.

The school district has had the voter-approved PPEL, set at $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable evaluation, for several years, and is asking voters to approve continuing that levy, explained Cardinal superintendent Joel Pedersen.

Pedersen said it is important for voters to understand the school district is not asking for a new tax levy, but an extension of the one already in place. The current levy will end June 30 unless voters elect to extend it for 10 more years.

The school district can use PPEL funds for several expenditures, such as property improvements, building construction, energy conservation measures, purchasing or leasing property, and purchasing buses, technology equipment, recreational equipment.

PPEL funds cannot be used for staff salaries or supplies; those expenditures are paid from the district?s General Fund, he continued.

If the district did not have PPEL funds, it still would have to pay for buses and other expenses, but the money would come out of its General Fund. Using General Funds for those types of expenses takes funding out of classrooms, said Pedersen.

By approving PPEL, Pedersen continued, Cardinal can continue to use its General Fund to maintain optimal class sizes and provide teachers and students with resources for a quality education.

To help voters understand the issue, Pedersen invited community members to attend an informational meeting hosted by Golden Furrow at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Cardinal Middle and High School Library.

For the complete article, see the Wednesday, Nov. 10, 2011, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.