The New Franklin R-I School District is asking voters to approve an increase to the operating tax levy on Tuesday’s ballot. The proposal would increase the tax from $3.42 per $100 of assessed property to $4.42, which is estimated to generate an additional $288,000 dollars for the district per year. New Franklin has been running at a deficit for the past three years, but the increased revenue would help the school district make up the deficit within one to two years, according to Superintendent Brian Cordel.
The operating tax funds things like teacher salaries and the purchase of school supplies. New Franklin School District, which consists of New Franklin R-I Elementary School and New Franklin R-I Middle and High School, has had the same operating tax since 1995. Cordel said inflation is one of the main reasons the tax increase is needed.
“Everything has increased in the last 25 years,” Cordel said. “Food has gone up dramatically, gasoline prices, diesel prices. Purchasing a bus, just for example, 25 years ago might have been $35,000-, $40,000. Well, now it’s anywhere from $80,000- to $100,000. And so, everything has increased except for the operating tax.”
Cordel said New Franklin is not currently in the red as it has a reserve of money that can keep it going for two to three years. However, he said if the proposal did not pass, the district would have to stop hiring or cut staff, make cuts to programs and hold off on raises for teachers until a tax increase was approved in order to keep the district operational.
Cordel said mandates like special education and transportation that every school district has to pay for have also forced the need for the increase. Cordel also said special education programs have only gotten more expensive.
“Those students are the ones that have the high need,” Cordel said, “and because of that, special education in every district in Missouri has gone up because of their need. That’s kind of a requirement the districts need to take care of, and we’re okay with that, but that increase has been substantial, especially within the last 25 years.”
Voters can have their say on the proposed tax increase by voting on Proposition One on Tuesday.