A timeline prepared by Le Mars Community Schools Superintendent Dr. Todd Wendt indicates the board of education may soon begin the process to implement an Instructional Support Levy for the district.

The Instructional Support Levy combines state funds, property tax and income surtax as a funding source for school districts. Le Mars Community School District voters defeated the ISL request in March.

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Board members, who had directed the superintendent to put together a timeline, received the proposed timeline at their April 28 meeting.

According to the timeline, the board would need to begin the process at the May 27 meeting with a resolution of intent to participate with a public hearing on June 9. If a petition signed by at least 100 district voters requests an election on the issue following that public hearing, an election could be set for Sept. 9, the same date as board member elections. The complete timeline is as follows:

Instructional Support Timeline:

May 27 - Board Adopts Resolution Of Intent To Participate

May 28 - Notice Of Public Hearing Issued

June 9 - Public Hearing (12 Days Notice)

June 9 - Board Adopts Resolution To Participate

July 7 - Last Day For Petition (29 Days)

April 15, 2009 - Certify To Department Of Management

July 1, 2009 - Effective Date

Timeline, If Petitioned:

July 14 - Board Adopts Resolution Of Intent To Participate

July 15 - Notice Of Public Hearing Issued

July 25 - Public Hearing/Announce Date Of Election (10 Days After Notice)

July 28 - Direct County Commissioner To Call Election On 9/9/2008

Sept. 9 - ISL Election

April 15, 2009 - Certify To Department Of Management

July 1, 2009 Effective Date

Whether approved by resolution or by a vote of district patrons, the Instructional Support Levy would be implemented beginning July 1, 2009.

Board members are asking district patrons for input on the best mix of funding: all property tax or a combination of property tax and income surtax.

"I think most people don't like the mystery of income tax," board member Dan Smith said. He pointed out people will know what the property tax will be, but an uncertainty on the income surtax "that's just another thing in the back of your head and to me that penalizes productivity."

"I had the same comments," said board member Cris Collins. "It seems like property taxes are more palatable."

Board member Patrick Murphy said he'd heard the exact opposite.

"Keep the real estate taxes low," is what Murphy said he'd been hearing. "That's the big issue. They didn't seem to have the concern that you've heard about the income tax," Murphy said.

Board president Mark Stelzer referred to the defeat of the issue in March. "It ended up being unclear and a therefore frightening situation," he said. "We need to work hard to make it clear, that this is how much it will be for each taxpayer."

"The uncertainty needs to be clarified," Stelzer said.

"Currently what we would have, assuming similar numbers to what we were dealing with last time, it was approximately $40 in any given year for the average taxpayer family -- $20 coming from property tax and $20 from income surcharge. And that's the average taxpayer," Stelzer said.

Comments from the public would be heard at the June 9 public hearing.

"I think every time you talk about it at an open meeting you need to stress to people that you'd like to hear from them if there ought to be a mix or all property tax or whatever," Wendt told the board.