The La Center School District is taking a second run at getting a replacement maintenance and operations levy approved this August as district officials are more optimistic they will receive greater community support in the upcoming election.
The district is looking to replace its current levy at the same levy rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value on properties in the district. The new levy is set to raise about $2.6 million in 2023, $2.8 million in 2024 and $3 million in 2025.
Superintendent Peter Rosenkranz said the levy has been in place since at least the 1990s.
Rosenkranz noted levies for school districts were capped at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value following changes with state school funding several years ago. When that cap was increased to $2.50 per $1,000, the district decided to maintain its $1.50 rate.
The levy makes up a “gap” in funding that revenues from the state don’t meet, LCSD School Board Member Craig Whited said. Previous information from the district stated 20% of the levy would fund maintenance, 16% would go to extracurricular activities, and 15% would go toward general staffing costs, among other support.
In some cases, levy funding supports most, if not all, of the costs for district programs like extracurriculars. Rosenkranz said 65% of high school students and 72% of middle school students participate in those activities.
“We have great programs for kids. We just want to continue that,” Rosenkranz said.
Whited, who was appointed to the school board in November as its newest member, said he understands the current financial pressures the community faces.
“We understand that inflation is up, and costs are up on our side as well, but we’re still continuing to try and stretch those dollars as far as we can for the betterment of our community and the betterment of the kids,” Whited said.
The district ran a similar levy for the same amount in February, though it failed to get majority approval. The measure received 47% of the vote in favor of the levy.
The potential for a second failure of the levy is already reflected in the district’s 2022-23 school year budget, which was approved late last month, Rosenkranz said. The district would collect some funding from the expiring levy in the fall but won’t receive any of those funds in the spring if a replacement measure isn’t approved.
If La Center’s levy expires without a replacement, the district said it would lose $1.25 million from the levy and $343,000 from state “levy equalization” funds, according to a district presentation in April.
Without the levy, the district would have a 35-to-1 class size ratio at the middle school level, Rosenkranz said. LCSD would also have to cut four of its 10 custodians.
Middle school sports would be eliminated, as would “C” teams for high school athletics, Rosenkranz said. Rosenkranz said he’s heard more students request transfers out of a school district if they don’t have athletic programs available.
“If we were to cut all high school sports, it would exacerbate the problem, because kids want to be involved in our schools,” Rosenkranz said.
In the leadup to the August vote, Rosenkranz said the district has tried to strengthen community bonds “around a common theme of ‘our kids are our future.’” As part of the levy campaign, he said supporters have rallied behind the slogan of “I Love La Center,” which he described as “a very public agenda of positivity.”
The district and supporters of the levy have increased their outreach efforts for their second go at the measure, focusing on churches and the Saturdays at the Park events in town, Whited said. As part of the I Love La Center campaign, Whited said he has seen videos from community members who have voiced their support of La Center and its schools.
Given the greater outreach and response, both Rosenkranz and Whited are “cautiously optimistic” about the second attempt at getting the levy approved.
“We’re focused on staying in our lane, educating kids, growing brain cells, so that they can choose their passion in life,” Rosenkranz said.
The primary election will take place on Aug. 2.
