At a recent meeting, the IKM-Manning Board of Education approved the placement of a Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) and a Revenue Purpose Statement on the ballot for Tuesday, November 2, 2021.
If these measures are approved, the district would prioritize the most urgent and required repairs throughout its school buildings. These include heating, ventilation and air conditioning improvements at both campuses, upgrades to playgrounds to meet Americans with Disabilities Act compliance requirements and addressing the bus loop to improve safety and efficiency. Additionally, the district is proposing making other safety and security improvements.
The board action comes after a school bond question that appeared on the ballot September 14 fell just short of the 60 percent voter approval needed to pass. An approved bond would have allowed the district to address several key facility needs.
After the vote, the Board of Education got to work on an alternative solution to address some of IKM-Manning’s most urgent needs.
“While a majority of voters supported the district and board’s plan to address our needs on September 14, the measure did not receive enough support to exceed the 60 percent approval required by state law,” said Sam Hansen, Board President. “The fact remains that our schools have a number of safety and facility needs that we must address soon. Through this proposed voted PPEL and Revenue Purpose Statement, we look to provide the district with the resources it needs to address some of the most urgent needs.”
A voted PPEL is a voter-approved levy that generates funds a school district can use for infrastructure and equipment repairs, purchases and improvements. Funds may be used only for these purposes. If approved, the PPEL would generate authority at the equivalent of $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value, or approximately $582,000 annually. The district intends to have a mix between property tax and income surtax to fund the levy rate.
The PPEL is anticipated to have a maximum property tax rate impact of $1.24 per year on every $1,000 of taxable property value. This translates into an additional $64 per year on a home with an assessed value of $100,000. For agricultural land, it would amount to an additional $1.42 to $1.70 per acre each year, depending on the location of the property.
A Revenue Purpose Statement allows a school district to use statewide one-penny sales tax dollars (through a program called SAVE) toward construction projects. It does not represent a tax increase. Rather, it simply changes how the district can use these dollars.
The district and board will share more information on the voted PPEL and Revenue Purpose Statement in the weeks ahead.
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