Fairfield voters asked to approve PPEL in March

FAIRFIELD – Voters in the Fairfield Community School District will go to the polls on March 5 to decide whether to approve an increase in the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL).

The district’s current PPEL is set to expire in 2026, so the school board has asked voters to renew the levy for another 10 years, and at an increased rate. The current voter-approved PPEL that passed a decade ago is a property tax of $0.67 per $1,000 of taxable valuation, and the school board is asking for that levy to be doubled to $1.34 per $1,000 taxable valuation. If approved, the new levy would be in place through 2036.

In addition to the voter-approved PPEL, there is also the “regular” PPEL that is set by the board of directors, and the board earlier this school year voted to approve the regular PPEL of $0.33 per $1,000 of taxable valuation.

According to the school district, the voter-approved PPEL is a levy that generates funds a school district can only use for infrastructure and equipment repairs, purchases, and improvements. That can include capital improvements in technology, roof replacements, school safety upgrades, HVAC system maintenance and vehicle replacement, among other things. The levy cannot go toward personnel expenses.

“Like many school districts across Iowa, we rely on PPEL funds to cover the costs associated with maintaining and repairing our buildings, facilities, and transportation fleet,” said Stephanie Mishler, Fairfield Schools Interim Superintendent. “We are asking our community to consider the PPEL on March 5, which will allow us to continue providing our students with a quality learning environment where they can fulfill their potential.”

Mishler said that the $1.34 per $1,000 taxable valuation levy the board is asking for is the most allowed by the state. She said it’s important to remember that the $1.34 figure is the most the board can levy in a given year, though the board could decide to lower it.

When asked why the school board is asking to double the PPEL, Mishler said that the current levy is not enough to keep up with the district’s expenses.

“We have aging buildings that require a lot of upkeep,” she said. “We currently spend general fund dollars on PPEL eligible expenses, so if we had more in our PPEL fund, we could use our general fund to pay for staff and curriculum.”

One of the recent projects the PPEL is helping to pay for is the construction of the new concession stand between the softball and baseball fields at Fairfield Middle School. Construction on the concession stand has begun, and is expected to be complete by the start of the summer sports season.

Matthew Gillaspie, Managing Director of Education at Piper Sandler Companies, will address the school board on levies during its meeting at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 16, and the PPEL is one of the levies he will touch on.

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Call Andy Hallman at 641-575-0135 or email him at andy.hallman@southeastiowaunion.com