We were provided a statement from the Superintendent, Dr. Sarah Marriott, about the current state of Boonville R-1. There is a bond and tax levy to be voted on in the April 2nd election:
The Boonville R-1 School District has a long-standing history of academic and extra-curricular excellence for the students in our community. The district strives to provide a diverse educational experience, tailored to individual needs and talents, so our students are prepared for college and/or careers. The Boonville Community is an integral part of the school district’s success with continued support of our student and district endeavors.
The Boonville School District and Board of Education have carefully analyzed the current and future needs of the district and the alignment towards achieving our goal of providing a high-quality education for all students. This process included a six-month facility study of our district, which evaluated the condition and needs of our buildings, as well as an evaluation of our entire staff salaries and unfilled needed positions. As a result of this process, the Board of Education determined to move forward with two April Ballot measures—a no-tax bond issue and a tax-levy increase.
Both ballot measures were carefully considered by the Board of Education. The Board of Education understands the commitment requested from our citizens. It is never easy to request additional funds from our community members and is a decision not lightly made by our Board of Education. However, the Board of Education has identified several areas of significant need that cannot be addressed without reaching-out to our community for assistance.
The No-Tax Bond measure is an initiative to generate a one-time source of additional revenue for our district. This measure does not cost our taxpayers any additional money and is a continuation of our current debt. Proceeds from the sale of bonds will generate approximately nine-million dollars in the form of a loan, which will be used to address facility needs in the district. Since this measure is not a recurring revenue stream, it can only be used for one-time costs, rather than recurring costs such as salaries. Missouri State Statute mandates money generated from a bond issue can only be used for capital expenditures such as building renovations and repairs. Bond funds may not be used for operating expenses such as salaries and benefits, transportation costs, textbooks, and other supplies.
The Facility Study, conducted by the Board of Education in partnership with a local architectural firm, identified numerous repairs needed around the district. The Board of Education has prioritized these needs and determined the nine-million dollars generated by the successful passage of the No-Tax Bond measure would fund the following projects: a new roof at BHS, Btec, and partial roof replacement and repairs at LSE and David Barton; tuck-pointing at LSE; HVAC repairs and replacement in all buildings; locker replacement at BHS and LSE; BHS and LSE Science Lab repairs and upgrades; interior remodel and finishes at Btec, and an important safety and security project of connecting the Btec and BHS. Additional smaller projects such as lighting improvements, electrical upgrades, mechanical repairs, and interior repairs will be completed as funds allow. The projects identified are not extravagant but rather are basic, vital repairs and improvements needed for our students to have safe learning environments that will remain in good condition for many years in the future.
The second measure for the April ballot is an additional $.49 tax levy. This is a measure which will result in an increase in financial contributions from our school community. A tax levy creates an ongoing revenue stream, available each year, which allows school districts to afford additional recurring expenses. Passage of this measure could potentially create an additional $685,000 per year for the school district which can be used to address staffing needs and facility needs. The Board of Education diligently researched the school district’s tax history. The most recent adjustment to our tax levy occurred in 1996, 23 years ago.
In recent years, school districts have encountered traumatic events such as school shootings and violence, which has caused districts to re-examine how to best keep our students safe. Even a small community such as Boonville is not immune to these challenges. Student and staff safety is a top priority for our district. In a proactive effort to provide a secure campus, the Boonville School District would utilize funds generated from a tax levy increase add a School Resource Officer (SRO). The district would collaborate with the Boonville Police Department to hire an officer in a full-time capacity for our district. The SRO would not only monitor our facilities and grounds for potential safety concerns, but also provide a positive, secure presence in our district.
Additional use of tax levy funds can target two staff positions—a math interventionist/instructional coach and reinstatement of an elementary art and/or music teacher. The district has identified improved math instruction as a top academic priority. The additional staff position can create intervention opportunities for elementary students struggling with math as well as provide instructional support to all math teachers throughout the district. The identified art and/or music position is a reinstatement of teaching positions eliminated in 2009/2010. Our elementary art and music teachers are each responsible for educating over 700 students each week. We recognize this is not conducive to a quality education and want to remedy this situation.
The remaining use of tax levy funds would focus on two areas—improving salaries across the district (including custodial, kitchen, support, and teacher salaries) and additional capital projects as identified in the facilities study. The Boonville School District values our employees and want to retain and attract a diverse teaching staff. However, our base teacher salary is the lowest of eighteen surrounding school districts including Pilot Grove, New Franklin, Harrisburg, and Marshall. Our base teaching salary has only increased one-thousand dollars in the past twelve years resulting in the Boonville School District no longer being a competitive employer.