Mt. Pleasant school patrons to vote on revenue purpose statement

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

The official day to vote may not be until Tuesday, but Henry County Auditor Shelly Barber said nearly 400 people have already voted early for the Mt. Pleasant Community School District special election.

The ballot for the special election will have two items to vote on, a revenue purpose statement and selection of a school board member.

The Revenue purpose statement is an extension of the statement the district currently has in place, which extends through 2022.

Ed Chabal, MPCSD director of finance, said the original statement was put in place when the district sold sales tax revenue bonds for the middle school project. However, the district is looking for additional facility improvements now and needs financing to do so.

The statement extension would go out until 2029, but that would be as far as the law would allow the district to extend to.

According to revenue purpose statement informational material supplied by the school district, the ?current sales tax revenue projections suggest the district can borrow approximately $9.6 million.?

Chabal said this figure is based on a zero percent revenue growth for the district.

?I?ve talked to our financial advisor and he has said even a two percent growth is conservative, based on what we?ve seen in the past. We could actually go for more than 9.6 million,? said Chabal.

The monies would be for projects recommended by the Facility Committee at the April 13 school board meeting. The projects and price estimates include:

All elementary schools receive necessary mechanical updates and air conditioning, $3,189,370;

All schools have safe/secure entry that requires a scanning system for admittance, $1,126,100;

Security cameras in all schools, $100,000;

All schools are handicap accessible including all restrooms being ADA compliant and an automatic door at each building, $500,000;

Additional classroom spaces for each elementary school, $1,829,900;

Athletic renovations at Mapleleaf Athletic Complex, $500,000;

Additional gymnasium at the high school, $2,205,000;

Adding a second exit at the high school for traffic, $150,000.

During April?s school board meeting, Stephanie Zinkle, co-chair of the committee said prices for the projects were based off a 2013 study and that extending the statement ?would not be an increase in taxes, but a change in language of the revenue purpose statement.?

For those who think extending the revenue purpose statement would tie the hands of future boards, Chabal said, ?future boards will just need to realize the limitations.? Chabal did reiterate initial projects were at a zero percent revenue growth, which is conservative.

?Essentially, we?re not tying up all of our sales tax funds,? he added.

If the statement were voted down, Chabal said the district could still borrow some money, but it would be a very limited amount.

?What the board would have to do is reconsider facility needs. If they decide some of the improvements need to be made, that money will have to accumulate over the years and do the projects as the money becomes available,? said Chabal.

As for the number of ballots casts, Barber said she doesn?t know if this election will have an abnormally large voter turn out or if voters are simply choosing to vote early.

?I think most voters remember the special school election last year where they had to stand in line,? said Barber, noting voters may simply be trying to avoid the lines.

However, Barber said the issues on the ballot are ?still pretty heated? so Tuesday could bring a large number of voters. If that?s the case, election workers are prepared.

For residents in Mt. Pleasant, voting will be done in Cottrell Gym and there will be three tables to try to alleviate the congestion.

Voters in Salem can cast their ballot at the Salem Community Center.

Voting for the election will occur on Tuesday, June 30, between 7 a.m., and 8 p.m.

A story about the two school board candidates will be in Monday?s News.