Proposition Fatima Schools would pave the way for much-needed construction and future funds for the district

By Edward Gehlert, Staff Writer
Posted 7/27/22

A proposed tax levy increase of 65 cents initiated by the Osage County R-3 Board of Education will be in the hands of voters under Proposition Fatima Schools on the ballot Aug 2.

The current tax …

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Proposition Fatima Schools would pave the way for much-needed construction and future funds for the district

Posted

A proposed tax levy increase of 65 cents initiated by the Osage County R-3 Board of Education will be in the hands of voters under Proposition Fatima Schools on the ballot Aug 2.

The current tax base is $3.4210 and, if the levy passed, would increase to $4.0710 per $100 of assessed valuation on property.

For the taxpayer, this means residential property valued at $150,000 would only see an increase of approximately $185.00 if the levy passes. Another example of how the increase would affect tax payments is if your personal property is valued at $30,000, you could expect an increase of approximately $65.

Agricultural property valued at $50,000 would see an increase of approximately $40 while 160 acres of Grade 3 agricultural land would have an increase of approximately $80 while 160 acres of Grade 4 agricultural land would be increased by $51.

A comparison of 22 local school districts shows that Fatima currently has the fourth lowest tax levy. The district is followed by Maries County R-II at $3.3359, School of the Osage at $3.2990, and South Calloway County R-II at $2.7500.

The average tax levy of these 22 schools is $4.0803. This means that if Proposition Fatima Schools passes, the district’s tax levy would still be under the average levy by $0.012 and well under the $4.2600 of neighboring Blair Oaks R-II.

Superintendent Chuck Woody praised the proposed levy saying, “This would generate the additional revenue needed to meet our payments for a lease-purchase agreement on a $10 million project paid out over 20 years, with a small amount of additional money available due to inflation of building costs under current economic circumstances.”

Proposition Fatima Schools would not be a temporary increase and future income from the tax levy would continue to improve the school.

“This does not have a sunshine on it. If it passes that levy is here to stay. There will always be a need for it. We’re not trying to pull anything. If this passes taxes will go up and we’re going to pay more money. I’ll pay more too, I live here,” Woody explained.

Some district residents have raised the question of why a tax levy is needed.

“The lower elementary building is in poor shape and has run its course,” began Woody. “We have stuck considerable money into this building over the years with windows, doors, etc. and we still have an old building with leaky pipes. That is not conducive for our students to learn at their highest potential.”

Woody continued, “Our students deserve the best facilities we can provide. We are now in a position financially within the district to take on this project. If not now, when?”

The Osage County R-III Board of Education opted to ask voters for a tax levy instead of creating a bond issue so the district’s residents could get more out of their money.

“There’s two ways that you can build a building. You have a tax levy, and that’s the direction we’re going, or you raise taxes to pay for the bonds and when those bonds are done that goes away. That actually costs a little more than the route we’re going. As we’re preparing for this and working on it we had to get to a bonding capacity. Our assessed valuation just got to a point about a year ago that we could even discuss a building. You have to have an assessed valuation able to back up those payments and now we’re there,” explained Woody.

If the levy passes, by early this fall the bid process for the construction of a new administration/maintentance building on the recently purchased Kever property would be underway along with finishing the design phase of a new high school building.

In the spring of 2023, the bid phase of the project would begin and in April of the same year the existing administration/maintenance building would be demolished and construction would start on the new high school building with an expected completion date of April 2024.

In May of 2024, the demolition of the two-story level elementary building would occur and construction would begin on the parking lot and playground area.