Voters will have the chance to vote on Proposition A — a new, zero-tax rate increase proposal — on Nov. 4. The adaptation of local levies would generate an annual $1.4 million for routine maintenance and infrastructure in the Mehlville School District.
The proposition would make the Proposition A capital levy of 3.26 cents — passed by voters in 2015 and set to expire in the 2026 fiscal year — permanent. The levy brings in $822,000 each year, and 80% of the funding has been spent in the replacement of aging roofs.
The proposition would also use a tax transfer from the Proposition S service levy to generate another $605,000 in annual revenue. Since a 2.4 cent portion of the levy is no longer required for the district to meet minimum debt service payments, those 2.4 cents would be redirected to the operating fund.
Altogether, this would generate $1.4 million annually without raising taxes. Ballot language would require that these funds be used to replace buses and maintain roofing, parking lots, technology, security and other essentials.
“When we maintain our facilities, we protect our community resources and the environment where learning happens,” superintendent Jeff Haug said in a release. “A classroom with a leaky roof or unreliable technology infrastructure distracts from learning. A well-maintained school helps students and staff stay focused, safe and comfortable.”
This proposal would alleviate the routine costs of running a school district. The district annually spends $850,000 on roofing, $700,000 on school buses, $325,000 on asphalt and parking lot maintenance and $450,000 on technology equipment and infrastructure.
“We’ve seen what happens when maintenance gets deferred,” chief financial officer Marshall Crutcher said in a release. “It forces the district into expensive ‘catch-up’ mode. This proposition would help us avoid that.”
In August, the Mehlville School District issued a survey about Prop A to 4,000 randomly selected households within district lines. An online survey was open to an even larger sample of parents and community members. In total — and despite an issue with delayed mail — the district hit a 33% response rate with 1,137 completed surveys online and via mail.
48% of surveyed voters were strongly in support of Prop A, 15% somewhat supported it, 8% somewhat opposed it, 25% strongly opposed it and 4% marked that they were undecided.
“We could say that if the election were to have happened during that time (of the survey), we’re 95% sure that the result would land between a little less than 56% up to about more than 62%,” said Jessica Pupillo, Mehlville’s chief communications officer.
