The Stewartsville C-2 Board of Education has placed Proposition K.I.D.S on the August 8th general election to increase the district's operating tax levy by $1.00 per $100 of assessed valuation. The passage of the operating levy will help the district increase staff salaries and pay for increasing operational costs. The informational flyer addresses some frequently asked questions districts receive when running a operating tax levy.
Why place an operating tax levy increase on the August ballot?
TO:
Increase Staff Salaries
Recruit Highly Qualified Teachers
Retain Our Highly Qualified Teachers
Pay Increasing Operational Costs
Frequently Asked Questions:
What is PROPISITION K.I.D.S?
Proposition KIDS seeks a $1.00 operating levy increase for the purpose of retaining and recruiting high quality staff by raising salaries and paying increasing operating costs.
What will the operating levy do to my taxes?
The proposed operating levy would increase taxes by $1.00 per $100 of assessed valuation. The assessed valuation on residential property is 19% of the appraised value. Ex. An individual with a home that has an appraised value of $200,000 would have an assessed value of $38,000 and would pay an additional $380.00 per year, or $31.67 per month. For personal property, personal property’s assessed valuation is 33.33% of the appraised value; therefore, an individual with an appraised value of $30,000 would have an assessed valuation of $9,999 and pay an additional $99.99 per year, or $8.33 per month.
Why do we need the levy increase?
Per the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the average total teacher salary from 2022 at Stewartsville C-2 was $39,134 while the Missouri average was $53,523. Approximately 43% of the District’s operating revenue comes from local funds generated through residential and personal property taxes. About 43% of the District’s operating revenue comes from the state which is mostly dependent upon enrollment. Our state revenue has remained relatively stagnant. To be able to increase salaries, the district will need to do that through our local tax effort. We need to substantially increase salaries to be competitive with area school districts.
Where will the revenue go?
There are 4 funds utilized to manage the finances of a district. Fund 1 is the General (Incidental) Fund where the operating tax levy revenues go. Fund 1 revenue is used to pay non-certified staff and operating expenses. Fund 2 is the Special (Teacher) Fund which is mostly funded through state revenue and pays certified teacher salaries and instructional resources. Fund 1 revenue can be transferred to other Funds to cover deficits in those funds. The revenue from the increase to the operating tax levy would be transferred to Fund 2 to pay increased teacher salaries. Fund 3 is the Debt Service Fund which is used to pay the bond indebtedness from the 2018 classroom addition. Fund 4 is the Capital Projects Fund used to pay for large projects or purchases that have a longer life-expectancy.