Oregon-Davis school officials are considering the corporation’s financial future, and that may include another property tax referendum.
Back in 2012, voters approved a tax increase of up to 19 cents per $100 of assessed valuation for a period of seven years, to help boost O-D’s General Fund. But with that tax increase set to expire in 2019, Superintendent Dr. Don Harman and the school board are considering the possibility of another referendum next year. “The time line is, if the board does decide to go with the May of ’18 election, then the board will have to make a decision at the December board meeting what they want to ask taxpayers for a tax rate,” he explains. “But I can’t emphasize enough, there has been no decision. The board wants input.”
Members of the public had a chance to discuss the issue with the school board during a work session Monday. Harman says he and representatives from accounting firm Umbaugh and Associates presented information about some current and future challenges facing Oregon-Davis. “There are three big impacts that affect funding challenges,” Harman says. “One is state-controlled funding, and what our state provides to the school district, a declining assessed value that is occurring throughout the state with assessed value, and then also declining enrollment.”
What Oregon-Davis is doing to address declining enrollment was one of the main concerns brought up by community members, according to Harman. “I did provide several slides of different programs, different processes, different methods, different things that we’re trying to do to increase our enrollment,” he says.
For now, Harman says he continues to seek input from local residents. “I’m going to be setting up smaller meetings with different community members. I’m going to be calling community members, to meet with community members. Obviously, we want input from our community. We want to hear feedback from our community. I’m always available. If any patron was not at the meeting or has questions about the meeting, I’m more than willing to sit down with any patron if any patron if they would want to call me, and I’d sit down with them. Obviously, our board wants to have input.”
Harman says the financial discussions are part of a larger strategic planning effort that also encompasses building maintenance and curriculum improvements.
