USD 410 vote on LOB issue set for Tuesday

Patrons of Unified School District 410 are being asked to vote next Tuesday to give up a portion of promised property-tax relief to replace a portion of a school district budget that has experienced cuts totaling $963,000 over the past five years because of state cutbacks and declining enrollment.

The ballot will contain a single question: ?Shall the Board of Education of Uni?fied School District 410…be authorized to increase its local option budget by an additional 1 percent of its state financial aid??

A majority of patrons voting ?yes? to that question would generate as much as $153,000 in additional operating revenue for local schools while still benefiting from a lower property-tax bill.

Equalization effort

USD 410?s initiative is a response to state legislation approved this spring in an effort to strengthen the equalization of school funding across the state?as was supported by the court this spring?while providing tax relief for property owners.

The state?s vehicle for doing so is the local option budget, which is funded within each school district by local property-tax dollars and is used to help fund operating costs, including personnel, programs and facilities.

Prior to the passage of the new legislation, local districts could not generate an LOB larger than 30 percent of its entire operating budget. USD 410 currently is at the maximum level.

The new law states that the LOB can be increased to 31 percent with the consent of voters. If approved, the school board then has the authority to increase the percentage to 33.

If districts take no action, or if initiatives like USD 410?s are voted down, the new legislation is projected to decrease property taxes for schools by 4 mills, which would be about $24 on a home in Marion County valued at $100,000.

If the majority of USD 410 patrons vote ?yes? in the special election, they would still see about half of that property-tax decrease, according to Superintendent Steve Noble.

The $153,000 budget benefit to USD 410 if the measure is approved is the result of the state?s effort to ?equalize? opportunities for students between the more affluent, often urban, school districts and poorer, more rural districts.

The choice

Noble said the equalization funding will be distributed statewide regardless of the local election result.

?If patrons want some of that aid to come to their schools, then the only way for that to happen is to raise the LOB authority,? Noble said. ?Voters must grant approval to their board of education to do this.?

?Without raising property-tax authority, all of this equalization aid will go to property owners for property tax relief.?

As the election approaches, USD 410 has been presenting its case through a variety of means.

Noble said a fact sheet has been distributed electronically to all Hillsboro Chamber members and all USD 410 staff. The same fact sheet was hand-delivered to Durham and Lehigh for posting in various locations and has been posted on the USD 410 Facebook page.

It also appears as an advertisement in this issue of the Free Press (see Page 2).

In addition, Noble has spoken at the Durham Senior Center and at Parkside Homes. He is scheduled to speak at noon today (Wednesday) at the Hillsboro Senior Center.

Voting places

Opportunities to vote were offered June 4 at the Durham Community Center and are available today from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Lehigh City Building.

General voting for all USD 410 patrons next Tues?day will be from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Hillsboro City Building.

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