The Lakota Board of Education took the first of two steps necessary to place a 7.9 mil Emergency levy on the November ballot. The levy will raise approximately $21,750,000 per year for ten years for the district, and is estimated to cost approximately $231 per year per $100,000 home valuation (or $19.29 per month).
Lakota is facing an expected negative cash balance of $10 million in 2012, and the funding received from this levy will ensure that Lakota is able to maintain basic classroom instruction for the 18,500 students who attend 22 Lakota schools. The Board will approve the second vote later this month to meet the requirements for placing a levy on the ballot.
Since 2008, Lakota has cut $13 million from its daily operating budget in an effort to tighten its belt in these tough economic times. The reductions have included the elimination of over 75 positions, changes to services such as transportation, and fee increases. Additionally, while working to maintain the classroom, administrators are now splitting buildings in some cases as well as the educational support staff across the district being significantly reduced. Student offerings such as athletics and extracurricular activities have also been reduced in an effort to remove dollars from the operating budget.
“While a 7.9 mil levy will help us in maintaining our programs, unfortunately, in order to remain solvent as required by the state, we will need to continue our reductions and remove even more from our budget,” remarked Superintendent Mike Taylor. “We have already undergone many painful rounds of budget reductions which is leading to the dismantling of the excellent educational programs that this community has built over time, and I am not looking forward to the continuation of this. Should this levy not pass, we will be forced to offer Lakota students a state minimum education.” He continued.
Contact: Laura Kursman, 874-5505
Date: July 13, 2010
