Special Election Reminder
By Zuck, Lyn
This is a reminder that on Tuesday, February 7, an election will be held from Noon - 8 p.m. at the Sidney Public Library. The purpose of the election is for the patrons of the Sidney Community School District to consider passing a new Revenue Purpose Statement for the district's uses of STATE Penny revenue.
KEY POINTS
* This is NOT a new tax on the patrons of the district. A YES vote will authorize the Board to continue using SALES TAX revenue collected from ACROSS THE STATE OF IOWA for:
* safe transportation for students
* technology
* property tax relief on the general obligation bonds issued on the Junior-Senior High School building. Those bonds are set to retire in 2017.
* continued maintenance and upgrade of district facilities
* gives the Board the authority to bond against State Penny Revenues for future facility projects
Please contact Gregg Cruickshank if you have any questions or thoughts regarding the February 7 election.
Gregg Cruickshank
Superintendent
712-374-2141
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Until 2008 the sales and service tax revenue used by schools was collected and distributed at the county level. Now the revenue is collected and distributed at the state level. The revenue is distributed based on a district’s enrollment. This year the Sidney district will receive $236,000 in revenue. The primary uses for the State Penny are building infrastructure, transportation, and technology. Examples of uses of the State Penny include the funding of the 1 to 1 laptop initiative; purchasing buses for transportation; and reducing property taxes by applying State Penny revenues to the bond payment on the Junior-Senior High School. The bonds on the Junior-Senior High School will retire in 2017.
The passage of a new RPS will also allow the district the option to bond against future State Penny revenues for building/infrastructure projects. Many districts are using this feature to do building projects instead of, or in combination with, general obligation bond elections. General Obligation (GO) bonds are funded through property taxes. The district has this option through 2029, when the current law sunsets.
Please vote YES on February 7. A YES vote will give the Board of Directors the authority to use revenue collected from the rest of Iowa to give students access to 21st Century technology; provide safe transportation for students; provide property tax relief for patrons; and utilize future revenues to maintain and upgrade the district’s facilities.
Gregg Cruickshank
Superintendent
