Marcellus Schools is asking voters to decide on a $12.25 million bond proposal. If approved, the proposal will not increase the current tax rate. It is structured to replace existing debt as it is paid off, which keeps the tax rate at its current level.
WHAT DOES ZERO TAX RATE INCREASE MEAN?
This means residents are not being asked to pay a higher tax rate. The school district is proposing to continue the current rate by replacing debt that is being paid off. The tax rate does not increase.
WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE?
The school debt tax rate would remain the same, at 4.65 mills, for the next six years, and then tax payers would see a decrease in their school debt tax rate, dropping to about 3.4 mills.
WHY IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT CONSIDERING THIS NOW?
Many of the school district’s building systems have reached the end of their useful life. Heating and cooling systems, roofing, and electrical components require replacement to continue operating reliably. Waiting to address these issues leads to higher costs, more frequent breakdowns, and disruptions to the school day. Acting now allows the school district to plan repairs efficiently and avoid shifting classroom funding to emergency fixes.
WHAT HAPPENS IF THE BOND DOES NOT PASS?
The needs identified in this proposal do not go away. The school district would still need to address failing systems and infrastructure. Marcellus Schools can only address roughly $1 in every $15 dollars of identified facility needs. Funding would need to be redirected from the general budget to cover emergency repairs, providing a temporarily fix to end of life items, if they are even fixable.
A PERSONAL MESSAGE FROM SUPERINTENDENT DR. DUNN
We appreciate the consideration given to this bond proposal by our tax payers. We all would like to see our property taxes decrease. However, we all know we need to have schools that are safe and reliable for learning to take place. This is exactly why the district is putting forth this zero-tax rate increase bond now instead of waiting until it is too late, where the facilities have finally failed, and we have to ask our voters to pay an increase in taxes.
We all question the return on investment we get from the taxes we pay. Without a doubt, when we look to Marcellus Schools, we can see our students’ academic performance out performs those around us. We can see the great, quality programs like Agricultural Science and Future Farmers of America that reflect the pride of who we are in Marcellus. We also have an award-winning band along with great athletics, as seen by the recent Varsity Boys Baseball run.
We hope you, too, can see the value and return on investment that our schools have made for our students. As a school district, we can only do so much with dollars we receive from the regular funding of schools. It truly takes a village to help raise our children, our future. Again, we appreciate the consideration given to this bond proposal when you complete your absentee, early voting, and in-person ballots.
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