SAC CITY, IOWA - FEBRUARY 17, 2011
According to East Sac County School board President Chuck Brotherton, there has been a lot of talk recently about the instructional support levy, (ISL) especially in light of Governor Branstad’s plan to cut funding to schools.
As the topic was taken up at the February 17, 2011 East Sac County School Board meeting in Sac City, Iowa, Brotherton expressed to those assembled that he certainly hopes the school can function without the ISL for a year and that he doesn’t think there is any consensus to push forward with putting a levy in place.
Brotherton suggested to the board that they continue to keep an eye on what’s going on legislatively and begin to educate the public about the importance of that levy and what it pays for.
School Board Director Chris Rodman agreed that it is a good idea to keep the public involved but maybe they should start a plan beginning in July or August 2011 leading up to the September vote. Ne admitted that he didn’t actually know when the right time to start talking about a levy would be but emphasized the importance of timing it so that the pros and cons would be at the forefront of the voter’s minds as they go to the polls in September. Rodman admitted that he is in favor of having the vote for a ten year levy on the ballot in September during the regular school board election, and that he feels there is public support for implementing an income surtax as part of the levy, as opposed to doing it 100% through property tax.
School Board Director Brent Wilhelm agreed but said that if the public votes in the affirmative, or to support the implementation of the ISL, he hoped that the school board would carefully examine what was needed and would hopefully not have to tax for the maximum amount.
Superintendent Kevin Fiene pointed out that it would be important for the public to know that they perhaps do not intend to go for the maximum amount allowable, should the voters approve the measure.
According to Brotherton 96% of Iowa’s school have an instructional support levy in place and extrapolates from that, that it is therefore important.
Said Fiene, “The district needs to have an instructional support levy at some point.” He went on to tell the board that he preferred to get started with it right away, but respects the board’s need to get public approval.
President Brotherton ended the conversation suggesting to the board that perhaps they could find a non-school board member to advocate and to drive the vote for implementation of an instructional support levy in the East Sac School district.
A message from East Sac School Board President Chuck Brotherton to the district’s voters
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