To our STC Community:

Some of you have received postcards in the mail asking you to vote “NO” for the PPEL vote on March 5th. This was sent by an organization within the community but it may not accurately reflect the District’s circumstances. In an attempt to provide more accurate information:

Our approach to PPEL is designed to split the burden of a tax between the property tax payers and income tax payers 50/50 so the tax is not 100% property tax.

The District already collects .33/1000 from a board voted PPEL that was implemented in 2017. Anything more than this amount needs voter approval. If our voted PPEL is approved, the District may reduce levies in other funds but ONLY IF the PPEL is approved.

The District is asking for an additional 4.5¢/1000 valuation from the property tax portion for the PPEL. This is possible because if PPEL is approved, the Board may reduce the levy in certain other funds.

At this time the District’s goal is to balance the increase between property and income tax. We are heading into uncertain times in the next five years with several upcoming big expenses due to several factors. The District has aging infrastructure, which will cost money to address. We will not have the money necessary to address these infrastructure concerns, if not approved. Our concerns are as follows:

Active shooter safety concerns, if it should ever happen. Presently, almost all classroom doors at the high school need to be locked with a key from the outside of the classroom instead of being able to lock from the inside. The new middle school, when completed, will have this feature.

Intercom communication systems at the high school no longer function adequately resulting in pockets of on campus spaces, including parts of the building, that cannot be notified quickly.

The cafeteria refrigerator at the high school is 55 years old and has outlived its life expectancy.

There are 68 HVAC units (18 years old) at the elementary that cost $10,000 each and are nearing the end of their 20 year life expectancy.

School buses – 4 of our newer buses have been “out of order” over the last 3 months due to serious safety concerns flagged by State Inspectors (manufacturer defects and out of warranty). In addition, the replacement of older buses are $150,000-$180,000 per bus.

These are just a few of the issues we want to address through PPEL. There are many more expenses that would be paid for with PPEL dollars, including yearly scheduled updates to facilities. Without a PPEL approval, we may not have the money to address these needed safety concerns or be equipped to respond to potential breakdowns.

Other implications the administration and board have for the future that are not directly PPEL related.

A continued decline in certified enrollment.

Potential mandates from the State of Iowa on starting teacher salaries at $50,000 and after 12 years of service at $62,000 minimum. This is a substantial increase over what some of our teachers currently make. There is no guarantee this will be fully funded, meaning some of the difference could come from state funds but the rest will be local taxpayers responsibility.

The potential loss of AEA available to support our teachers professional development. This could be a difficult transition as we would have to contract with outside agencies for these services at a cost greater than we currently pay.

A 5-10 year facilities plan has been developed over the last 18 months to prioritize repairs and improvements. The estimated needs exceed $10,000,000.

We are not asking for support that is not needed, as these needs are real. It’s our community, our school system and our kids. Thank you for your consideration as you prepare to vote on March 5.

Sincerely,

The South Tama School Board

Elizabeth Dolezal

Beth Wiese

Megan Thiessen

Jackie Ellenbecker

Rick Hopper