Wymore Southern patrons weigh pros, cons of levy override request

WYMORE -- For some, the decision is made. Others continue to weigh the options on the fate of a property tax levy override for Wymore Southern Public Schools.

“It’s just very complicated, with state aid and all that, it’s very complicated,” Connie Smith said after a public information presentation Friday at the school.

Southern patrons vote Tuesday on the district’s request for the authority to levy as much as 30 cents above the state’s general fund levy lid of $1.05 for five years.

Smith said it’s difficult to determine exactly how students might be affected if the override doesn’t pass, but the meaning for district patrons is simple.

“It means taxes go up or down,” she said.

Smith said she would prefer the district would work with what it has.

“That’s how everybody lives,” Smith said.

Martha Thomas was more certain of her vote.

“I intend to vote for it. This town needs a good school. It would be devastating to the community to lose our school,” she said.

Thomas said she graduated from Wymore Public School in 1931 and remains interested in the school and its well being.

“I want it to keep going and keep up the high standards we’ve set,” she said.

Her sister, Margaret Thomas, was less definite.

“I suppose if enough people think we should have it, then we should,” she said. “It means my taxes will be higher, but that’s the price you pay for living in a democracy.”

Southern Superintendent Michael Shimeall said he wishes more people had turned out for information sessions on the issue. Now all he can do is wait and see.

“It’s probably not a good time, but any time’s not a good time to talk about taxes. I have no idea what’s going to happen.”

The main reason the district is seeking the override is LB988, the new state finance law for education, Shimeall said during in his presentation at the Friday session.

The bill requires school districts to keep their total levy to $1.20, including exclusions from the general fund lid, he said.

Southern’s levy last year was $1.42.

Exclusions from the lid included 4.5 cents for the special building fund, 4 cents for the capital purpose fund, 14 cents for an insurance bond and 25 cents for a bond fund, which includes about 11 cents approved by voters to build additions in 1999.

With some of the bond funds grandfathered in, Shimeall said, the district would still have to cut the levy to $1.30 without an override.

With one, he said, the district plans to put the levy at $1.35 for the 2008-09 school year.

He said the district has been able to avoid an override so far by writing grants and making selective program cuts.

Cuts made in the past six years include a maintenance position, a part-time Title I position, a food service position, a special education position, a business education position, an administrative position, three paraeducator positions, a community counselor position and a reading recovery position, plus buying a new bus every three years instead of every two and cutting the supply budget by 20 percent, Shimeall said.

At the same time, he said, the district has been fortunate to receive a three-year 4-Kids Counseling grant of $998,000, a three-year renovation grant of $500,000, a three-year physical education and health grant of $578,000 and a three-year Reading First grant of $693,000.

One of the big costs over which the district has no control, Shimeall said, is special education.

“State law mandated that special education cost be reimbursed at approximately 85-90 percent, although the actual reimbursement percentage has decreased each year,” he said. “Southern’s current reimbursement is less than 50 percent.”

During the 2007-08 school year Southern spent more than $1 million on special education, and the state provided about $450,000 in reimbursement.

Shimeall said a new reading program has helped cut the number of students needing special education services, but costs continue to rise.

If the override does not pass, he said, the district can try again in the spring or make enough cuts to run within the state’s limits.

For example, the district could:

* Eliminate or cut back on busing.

* Change to a four-day school week.

* Eliminate the summer Jump Start Program.

* Reduce the number of paraprofessional positions.

* Share a superintendent with another district.

* Eliminate a position at the elementary school.

* Eliminate the community counselors program.

* Eliminate or reduce programs including physical education, family and consumer science, business, shop, fine arts, math, science and language arts.

* Eliminate field trips.

* Eliminate or reduce athletic programs.