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Read comments (32)This is the board's second attempt to implement the instructional support levy (ISL). A petition by district patrons put the same issue to a vote in March, when it was defeated.
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The board's decision followed a public hearing Monday night where two district residents addressed the board on the issue.
Susan Leonard said she supported passage of the ISL. "We have a good quality school," she said, and noted education will cost more just like everything else. "I think we need to make that a priority."
She also suggested the board give more specifics about what cuts might be made if the ISL were not implemented.
District resident Dick Ahlers of Le Mars said as a former educator he is "pro education."
"I am also concerned with the constantly increasing amount of taxation," he said.
He said the combination of all taxes (state, federal, gas, local) adds up to half of the average person's income.
He referred to the March vote saying, "the majority vote said 'no' to a tax increase."
He said if budget cuts need to be made, they should be made across the board and not just in the academic areas. He asked that the board be frugal and respect the taxpayers' wishes.
The board made more than $254,000 in budget cuts in April after the ISL was defeated. Those cuts are for the 2008-2009 school year.
Following the hearing, board members discussed the resolution as presented.
Board member Patrick Murphy stated the flexibility of "up to 10 percent" is to the advantage of both the taxpayer and the district.
As stated in the resolution, the rate would be reviewed annually, and could be as low as one percent.
"Enrollment determines how we use this flexibility," he said. He referred to the Spencer School District, where he said they keep the property tax rate at a minimum level with more funds raised through the income tax surtax.
Board president Mark Stelzer said he felt the board had done a good job of being fiscally responsible for the district. He added the cuts made in April "were painful and not in the best interest of the students."
Board member Marjorie Franke, a former educator in the district, said she feels the district needs the ISL. "I've been here when we had no money and there were no raises. I don't think any board would ask for the full 10 percent," she said.
Board member Dan Smith asked for clarification on the income tax surtax.
Murphy explained the income tax surtax is computed on the amount of state income tax paid by an individual, not their total income.
Board members and administration said they would be willing to answer questions from district residents about the ISL, just as they had for the March election.
"We can't guarantee everyone will listen," Wendt said.
The funds generated would go to the general fund, which provides for the instructional needs of the students and covers salaries and educational supplies.
District patrons who wish to put the resolution to a vote would have to submit a petition to the board secretary with 28 days of the the adoption of the resolution.
Wendt explained that if no petition is received by July 7, the resolution would go into effect for five years.
While I don't agree with more taxes, and I don't agree with some of the spending issues of the board, the ISL tax does and will help LCS. I find it hard to believe that there are 31 posts on this article, yet a total of 5 for the 2 articles on the county and city tax levy increases. There are numerous other school districts that are facing the same budget crunch. Facing the challenge of enrollment is the key. Facing the realization that parents and students are leaving for whatever reason needs to be addressed at the school, city, and county levels. The city and county was allowed to increase taxes this year with only 5 people responding to the articles and yet this tax increase gets the most attention. WHY?
We don't have to like it, and I still don't like it, but it is the future success of the school system that we may need to think about.
i would also like to add how gas prices are affecting the school's budget. The gas bill (for busses and such) will roughly double this year. And this bill will (it has to (because it is illegal if it doesnt)) come out of the same pot of money that isl tax would replenish (not the pot availible for infrastructure (building the gym)). Without this tax, the school will never make budget.
Prices for everything has gone up. And the school has less money. At what point does the school get more money to pay for the new expenses?
Well in this construction project there are phases. The middle school gym and high school classrooms construction they are completing is phase one. After this phase is complete, construction will stop. Phase two is the high school gym and tennis courts (this has been put on hold). The first phase has already been contracted out, and the contractor has a responsiblity to finish on schedule (or the contractor loses money).
Also, the cost of living is rising. The minimum wage has gone up substantially. The value of the dollar has also gone down substantially. In response to these and perhaps other factors, a 3.5% raise may be in order for some teachers. And perhaps these teachers really deserve it.
And it is not an absurd idea to suggest a pay increase is in order when it is deserved. In any profession, the better and more experience you are, the higher the pay. This is a universeral idea. Sure janitors get paid less (and i guess some people learn from them), but thats an entirely different profession. So comparing the pay beween the two is completely absurd.
And Im still wondering what foolish spending is..
I certainly am not suggesting that the LeMars Community teachers/staff make up the entire budget deficit on their own. It seems though that when you are asking the community to help from having to make program cuts which inevitably leads to teacher cuts by implementing new taxes that it wouldn't seem feasible to give a 3.5% raise. Where are you coming up with this money? I'll tell you that I have very rarely not seen a cost of living raise but it's usually not as high as 3.5% and has been as low as 1.5. So while the idea of giving the teachers a raise might not constitute as foolish the amount might. To suggest that high quality equals high pay is obsurd. I'm sure we can all come up with a teacher's name in our life time that got paid well but we learned more from the janitor, as we can in any profession. Please don't get me wrong. I value my children's teachers more than you know and I have nothing other than the upmost respect and admiration for those people that have chosen to teach as a profession. I just think that the state that the school is in now, making difficult decisions on what programs to cut and more importantly what teachers to cut that a more appropriate raise would have been in order. I for one am just happy to have a job to go to everyday especially now during the recession (I don't care what Bush says, it's a recession-but that's another topic for discussion :)).
On a side note to former resident's side note regarding the construction of the new gym being on hold-I'm not sure where you got that information but I go by the school everyday and there are construction crews there everyday working on the gym. In fact the construction crews are the ones who found the vandalism to the football field and the new gym.
i dont think that pay increases for teachers is foolish. do you really think that the handfull of people who teach our children should be the only people in the community to sacrifice?
everone always says how quality teachers are such a great resource for shaping the minds of the future. when these educators are not being paid as well as they should be, dont ya think the level of teaching quality would go down? good teachers would leave because they could be paid how they should be anywhere else ..
So that suggestion would just be counterproductive.
by not giving the teachers their rightful salaries, you are creating a scapegoat... making these people pay instead of the entire community is just wrong.
So, the question still remains, what exactly is foolish spending?
Would giving a 3.5% raise to the teachers while you're trying to CUT the budget by $250,000.00 qualify as "foolish spending"?
MEK,
I very much agree with you what about the childern!!!!
I have one question. You all are angry about this tax increase regarding our school system? Why is it that no one ever stands up to the city and their foolish spending. Like the time they redid the perfectly paved main street and Plymouth streets with that stupid blocks that was done the wrong way. That the city is talking about re doing again. Where does that money come from. The tax payers!! Will any of you say anything about that probably not to much because that is the city. Do you all realize that their has not been a tax increase for the school system fo r over 5 years. We are all tight with money with prices of everything increasing. I am willing to have my money go to something worth while and not see my money go to stupid street designs.
Have you ever read the paper? Do you not understand?
The ISL tax can only fund the teaching of children. The monies used to build the gym and buy the old corporate office are from a whole different pot.
If this is shot down, the school will find it harder to pay teachers, pay for programs, and buy textbooks. However, they will still have tons of money to obtain several buildings. The money cannot be transferred. It is ILLIGAL to take the money from one pot (infrastructure) to pay for things in another pot(educational purposes (ISL tax money)) These are two separate spending programs. The school's budget is not like your own personnel budget.
So again, I ask you what exactly is foolish spending?
on a side note, buena vista is renting that building from the school... so the school would probably actually end up making money from that investment.
on another side note, the gym construction was put on hold because, from an igorant person's point of view, it looked like they were wastefully spending money. so your ignorance is actually slowing progress.
In response to former resident. To me foolish spending could be buying the old Wells coporate building or putting up a new gym when your saying you do not have enough to maintain what you currently have and need to make cuts on. If you consider being financialy responsible stingy than maybe I am. But you need to know how to live within a budget and be responsible for the debt you incure without trying to make someone else bail you out. ( maybe just bite off a little less at a time)
I want to sign the petition. I am a widower, raising our children, helping putting them through college. I get no help whatsoever. I pay for all insurances, bills, taxes. If you don't think $20-30 is a lot believe me it is. I don't go on vacations, drive new vehicles, etc. I live within my means. I don't have a lot but I make due with what I have. I would love to trade Wendt salaries for a year and see if he could live on my salary a year. Then you would understand what I mean that any increase is too much!! It is not that I did not go to college, I did, I have a good job in my chosen degree and so did my spouse. Wake up not everyone is living the high life some unexpected bumps have come along, even if I wasn't a widower, we still are conservative and have always lived within our means and have taught my children the same. As far as education. I went to a very small school and would have loved to go to LeMars. You guys have classes I had never heard of. We just has the basics. Calculus, what's that? We didn't even have a teacher who could teach it. If you think your kids are not getting a good quality education you are so wrong. LeMars has great caring teachers. Children today have a jump start with all the daycare, preschools, etc. When I went to school there was no preschool and we turned out okay. Be blessed you have a good school system. The school will always continue to be a good school with or without extra taxes. Most teachers are great and love their jobs and you can see the compassion they give to our children. Even having children out of school they still ask about former students, they truly care. After being proud of my children graduating from LCHS, I know they received a good education and could go to any college they wanted. I do agree that sports is so over emphasized. I praise bigredfan, you hit it on the head about extracurriculars and sports. Music is a way of communication and will always be a part of one's life. When things get bad cut the extracurricular sports. GBB program seems to be on its last leg anyway. Bring ILS up to a vote, my vote was no last time and will again be NO!
In response to 'FoodForThought'...I completely agree with you!! I am tired of hearing about how the school leaves no child behind (I think that is their motto)...hmmmm...what a crock! They need to get rid of a few of the coaches and pay the teachers that actually educate our kids, more money...that would save a bundle! Of course, we know that isn't going to happen. I realize that music/band is an extra cirricular activity also, but music stays with you through out your life...sports...(I won't even go there!) I wonder if the public is even aware of all the awards the music department has sitting in the band room (that nobody sees!) There are by far, more plaques and trophies won through music than all of the sports put together, but that is one of the departments cut. Even if the ISL passes, the school board and administration will do exactly what they want to do with the money. (and you are right, they need a 'yes' vote to cover their butts when expenditures are questioned) I am sure that it will go for the betterment of our athletes/athletic department. LeMars has so much talent in that school and most of it is wasted because of who you are. As far as another vote?...I don't like being bullied. I wonder just how long the LCS administration thought they were going to get away with pushing people around and for just how long we were going to take it. Enough is enough!
If our decision to participate in the ISL is petitioned, the timing of an election was planned to coincide with the upcoming regular School Board election. So it would not be a special election.
As far as petitioning for a re vote after passage, I don't believe it possible because if the ISL passes at election it will pass with the term being known by the voters as ten years. If, on the other hand, it is allowed to go through without election, it is limited to five years. After five years the electorate would either let it go through again out of satisfaction in the way the board has conducted itself, or petition and force a vote out of disgust. I hope this answers your questions.
It is a travesty of the democratic system that the school board is even allowed to bring this topic up again so soon. At LEAST a year should be required to pass before they try to override the WILL OF THE PEOPLE. By the way, how much does each special election cost the taxpayers?
Since Mr. Smith is sometimes willing to address these messages, maybe he would be kind enough to answer this question for me. Assume the ISL vote HAD passed in March, the new funds were allocated according to Dr. Wendt's wishes and life continued as normal. Would we, the citizens paying this new tax, EVER have the right to petition for another vote if we decided we didn't like how the school board chose to spend their new pot of money? My guess would be "absolutely not." You can be certain that, if the vote had passed, anytime expenditures were questioned, the response would have been "the voters of this community sanctioned our actions." Since the ISL vote did NOT pass, 1,700 citizens are suddenly anti-education activists who don't know what's best for them. Somehow, this one way street doesn't seem representative of a democracy.
Perhaps there would be better feelings about the ISL if Dr. Wendt had not made his preferential treatment of athletics so painfully obvious. If this tax were truly needed for the EDUCATION of our students (meaning academics, the 'basics', the 'three R's', or whatever you want to call it), I am sure there would have been many more affirmative votes.
I really hope this comes to a vote again, rather than just passing through because we're tired of the school board's whining. If it is voted down AGAIN, the board should tell Dr. Wendt that he is welcome to seek employment in a district that supports the ISL if it's that important to him. On the other hand, if they try to push it through a THIRD time in another six months, the citizens should hold a special election to recall every single one of the school board members, ask for Dr. Wendt's resignation and start from scratch.
alright alright alright.. if voted no, i suggest a cut that would hit the pockets of most the residents of the community, not just the children of LCS. Such as those families of students from other schools who benefit from LCS programs (bussing, T&I, wrestling team, science, math, and technology courses).
Also, i would just like a clarification on 'foolish spending.' Just give me some examples. Or are you just saying that for justifaction of your own stinginess. Right out of the Bush playbook if ya ask me...
Tax is Tax I do not care what you call it and we pay way too much already and the line needs to be drawn somewhere. Children need the best education they can get especially today. The taxpayer should only foot the bill for accademics not sports, band etc. Maybe Wentz and others need to look at taking a pay reduction. If the people in charge keep wasteing money why should they be given more? Government in general needs to spend less, either schools, citys, countys etc. I can not tell my boss I want a raise because I want to spend foolishly.
Sorry, I wasn't clear on the spreadsheet. When you go to the Iowa Tax part enter what you paid in Iowa Income Taxes in 2007, not what your income was in 2007. If your Iowa Income Tax paid was $2,000.00 the ISL on that would come to $50.00 (using a 2.5% rate). A $200,000.00 home would come to a $44.00 portion of the Levy. The total of the two parts would be $94.00.
This is in regard to comments made by 'mek'. It seems to me that the kids are taught a whole lot worse things in school, such as favorites, bringing in items (and some of the items are STUPID!) to the teachers and school so that they can get 'extra' credit(isn't that like...buying a better grade, which would require MONEY!), and let's not forget the 'fashion' review or 'if you aren't a jock, you aren't much' attitude that is frequent in LCS. And let's not leave out the fact that if we, as parents, speak out, our children suffer the repercussions...I know this from personal experience. Maybe it's time to get back to some basics with our education. You are correct in stating that our children deserve the best education...I am in total agreement with you on that, but is that what they are getting at LCS? My kids have attended LCS all of their school years and I have seen it going downhill dramatically, especially when it comes to the moral issues and fairness issues. To me, these things are important also. Afterall, they spend most of their time at school. My kids aren't stupid...they get the message, which makes me sick! So maybe before you call the "no" voters selfish, greedy and accuse us of throwing temper tantrums, you might want to stop throwing stones of your own! I am not going to fight about this issue. I will simply vote 'no' again! Thank you!
OK I understand all of your aguments here and I know we all don't like it when the taxes go up but when this is hurting the 5 and 6 year olds people these kids need these programs. There young minds are very important and I am ashamed at all of you that would not put down a yes vote. REMEMBER THE CHILDERN OF THE COMMUNITY!!! ARE WE ALL FORGETTING THE EDUCATION FOR THE CHILDERN!!!!!
Using Dan Smith's spreadsheet I calculated alot higher assessment than $20-30. As a teacher I am for good education but I also see alot of unchecked spending waste in public education. I also agree with nooch15 that the school system seems to pale in comparison to the city fathers. I personally see very few benefits in all their spending frenzies.
Who do we contact to sign the petition? I hate to waste more time and gas by voting.
It really sounds to me like the School Board is upset that the citizens of LeMars had the audacity to vote NO in the first place. OK I didnt win that race, can we try again? I dont like who was elected, can we just do it again? PLEASE!! Our students get a great education, maybe they will have to wait until Jr College to get into a T&I program, big whoop. We live in a great community, with a great people, just because something didnt go your way school board, you dont have to act like spoiled little kids who didnt get their way>>which is exactly what you look like. I will vote NO once again. UGH.
Here we go again. We've voted NO to the ten-year option, and now we have to consider a five-year proposal. What doesn't the school board understand with a resounding answer of 'NO'?
Their spending habits have to be curtailed and voting NO to their proposals is the only way we can have some semblance of control.
Now, the actual truth. You know as well as I do, if the decision isn't favorable to the board in the next election, if there happens to be an election, they will try again in the fall- they've done this "dog and pony" show before.
A no-win situation? Well, that's politics.
By the way, where do I sign?
Below is a link to a spreadsheet I built to show what the ISL impact would have been to your family had it passed. I have had it working on both PC and Mac. Hope it works for you too if you try it. If it doesn't work let me know. Got the formulas from the Court House.
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p...
I HAVE TO ASK, WHERE ARE THESE PEOPLE AT WHEN THE CITY AND COUNTY DECIDE TO RAISE THEIR TAXES. WHY IS IT THAT NO ONE SPEAKS UP THEN? WE ALL KNOW THAT THEY HAVE SPENT MONEY FOOLISHLY.
What are we teaching our kids? Spend more money than you have and someone will give you more if you whine enough. I do not believe this is "for the kids", and I'm too tired to dance. Of course, when available funds got tight academia hit the T&I kids.
Maybe we could tear that building down and build another sports arena in it's place.
The taxable assesment of our house went up this year by a considerable amount($8,000), without making any improvements. That alone should give the school quite a bit more than $20 or $30. It's bad enough if you are going to take a larger cut (percentage) out of my budget, but a NEW tax, opening a new door directly to an adjustable income tax is not acceptable.
Perhaps mek would like to shoulder the full burden of taxation for this particular issue. Or, mek only saw from my post 20 or 30 dollars. Pay attention mek. What I said was: the voters had their say, which was no. I am not hoarding what money that I have. I live payday to payday right now. I am for public schools. My point was that ALL public schools need to understand there are only so many tax dollars and to live within those means. The school can't borrow against future money in hopes that it will be there.
I have no beef with the school or you mek for that matter. How about we all try this: pay as you go. If the money or resources are not there, then either be creative by having a fund raiser or don't promise what you can't provide. I do that. And mek, I just bet that deep down you do that at home too.
Now, can we please press on?!
I am sorry that all of you that are upset with the taxes being raised to help educate our children. Who by the way are our future of this community and this world. If we are unable to provide them the education that they deserve. Then we will fail. If you all are all so shallow that you are really going to have a tantrum over an extra $20.00 or $30.00 a year than maybe it is time to grow up! Maybe you should have all the facts before you start to through stones. Remember we all expenses and that will never change. At least my tax dollars will be HELPING THE KIDS!!!! What is all this fighting of yes or no vote showing the kids? When did our kid's lives have to depend on the mighty dollar? Alot of you that are complaining about this vote have no idea of what cuts were made this year and how the kid's are going to be affected. That is sad. All you greedy people I feel for you. One day you will have your judgment day and than you can answer why? LIVE LIFE AS THERE IS NO TOMORROW! DANCE AS IF NO ONE IS WATCHING! LET LOOSE A LITTLE HAVE SOME FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No, enough is enough, we all have to spend less and that includes the schools! Stop taking what little money most people have. Pretty soon there will be bigger burdens in this community, retail stores will close, resturants etc. Is that what Le Mars wants a town full of tax poor people! That's just where we could be headed if this doesn't stop.
Have we not been taxed enough? Close to four dollar/gallon for gas, more for diesel. Look, I am truly for better education, really! But guess what? I have had to make hard and fast choices. So should the schools. So, you get voted down and try, try again?! HELLO?! We told you NO once. Make do with less. This is not a bitter person, well not always. Fact, LCS is losing students. Fact, our taxes are rising. Fact, food and fuel costs are rising. Please don't tell me it's only 20 dollars here or 30 dollars there. That is in addition to what we already have to pay.
Sincerely,
me
NO!
NO.