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Mountain Home News

School levy would be available to district for 2 years

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

The temporary supplemental levy being sought by the school district in a special vote on Thursday, May 27, would provide an authorization for the district to levy up to $2.8 million in property taxes for each of the two years the levy would be in force.

But district officials say that while they intend to seek the full $2.8 million this year, in order to clear out the district's red ink, "we'd only levy what we absolutely need" the second year of the authorization, according to Supt. Tim McMurtrey.

If the legislature were to restore school funding back to levels prior to this last legislative session, "we wouldn't need the full $2.8 million," he said. "We don't believe in levying for any more money than we need."

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  • If we are going to ask folks to support this, especially seniors that don't have children/grand children in the school district, maybe the district could offer an incentive such as not charging seniors to get into all sporting events. This isn't money that the district "budgets" for as part of their programs, since attendance at these events is not a fixed or programmable figure.

    Just a thought.

    -- Posted by Shirt 314 on Wed, May 5, 2010, at 10:51 AM

  • Shirt, will you be at the meeting on May 12?

    I'll bring that up for you if you won't be, it is an excellent idea.

    -- Posted by lilmissmelmo on Wed, May 5, 2010, at 11:42 AM

  • Instead of a levy, why not lease our unused rails around Mountain Home to Union Pacific like the city of Boise is doing. Boise has received almost $1,000,000 in doing so as was stated in the Idaho Statesman today.

    -- Posted by kerbyone on Wed, May 5, 2010, at 1:13 PM

  • Lilmissmelmo,

    Please feel free to use my suggestion. I would rather have you debate students articulate this suggestion in a way that will persuade the board to act. After all, this levy may very well save debate in the future!!!

    -- Posted by Shirt 314 on Wed, May 5, 2010, at 4:30 PM

  • Kerbyone- A great idea, but the unused rails around Mountain Home belong either to the Department of Defense (the AFB Spur) or to Union Pacific Railroad, but not any, as far as I know, belong to the City of Mountain Home. In Boise, the City actually owns 14 miles of track which were donated by Union Pacific in 2000, and that is what they are leasing back to UP for car storage. The details are in this Statesman story: http://www.idahostatesman.com/2010/05/05/1178812/idle-rail-cars-generate-cash-fo...

    -- Posted by Councilman Schroeder on Thu, May 6, 2010, at 4:45 PM

  • I "heard" that the school district pays a secretary 50,000 + a year. Is this true?? If so, how about eliminating that position and let the business students in the high school help in this area.

    -- Posted by jctas on Mon, May 10, 2010, at 2:37 PM

  • I have been in a school office. I'm not sure how the upper schools are, but there is a lot of drama at the elementary schools. This is an area where a student does not belong. Students need to know their rights and privacy are being protected. I know our high school students are professional but I would not feel comfortable having them dealing with all of the day to day circumstances. We need to remember,not everyone that enters a school is there for the students' best interests. The office staff is the first line in the safety chain of all of our kids. They get training on how to make split moment decisions when any person enters the school building, they are also the first to get yelled at and put in harms way. Beyond this, they screen sick kids, call parents when there has been an embarrassing accident, and fixes our children's boo-boo's. I am not a nay sayer, but these people earn their money. If you don't believe me, spend 2 hours in the front office of an elementary school before offering up another student to go through the agony. Of course, this agony I speak of is welcomed with the loving and open arms of our office staff. The same people who will not have a job next year if this levy does not get passed. I applaud them and think they deserve to stay with pay.

    -- Posted by needclrifcation on Mon, May 10, 2010, at 9:46 PM

  • They dont get paid that amount of money. It is far less than that and it is never enough for what they put up with.

    -- Posted by snafu on Tue, May 11, 2010, at 4:59 AM
  • *

    kidsoma go to this website our idaho.com follow the promps and find the salaries for all education salaries in the state this is a PUBLIC website. secretaries are usually paid by the hour.

    -- Posted by Stinger on Tue, May 11, 2010, at 3:13 PM

  • You have got to be kidding, $50,000? Not even close. I believe the wage paid to the school sec. qualifies their children for the free lunch program.

    -- Posted by Amused MtnHomey on Tue, May 11, 2010, at 6:09 PM
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