Here we go again. More mis-spent money on my tab.
I have a fix for this: every property owner in Moscow should have to go and pay this semi-annually, in cash, at the district office.
I have a lot of complaints about this. One of which is that voters today would pass a tax that remains for our children and grandchildren to pay indefinitely.
You want to fix the MSD problems? Put some skin in the game. Right now, they ask for more money without producing a quality product.
How do I know this? There were zero national merit finalists this year. A local private school that operates at half the cost of what MSD charges per student had 3 out of a class of 24. That’s 12.5% of the class.
Moscow School District officials are asking voters for a $1.9 million increase to the Indefinite Term Supplemental Levy to cover maintenance and operations costs.
If passed, the annual levy, which is for an indefinite number of years, would reach $11,486,000.
Greg Bailey, superintendent of the Moscow School District, said the almost $2 million increase is slightly lower than the school district’s last increase in 2011. He said the school district typically needs to request an increase every five to seven years to meet its needs.
Here’s the play: we’re asking for less than last time, therefore you need to pass it.
“We’ve made it seven years this time, but we’re due to increase that so we can meet the needs we currently have,” Bailey said.
He said factors like inflation, the addition of an all-day kindergarten program and keeping school district personnel’s salary and benefit packages competitive are leading to the requested increase.
Bailey said the school district is in its second year of its all-day kindergarten program. It was previously a half-day program.
He said the extended kindergarten program has greatly helped students get on the correct education path and allowed more time for staff to work with students. Bailey said the program was also lengthened to be competitive with Washington, which also approved the all-day kindergarten program.
Bailey said the levy will support the increase in paraprofessionals being hired at the school district, the addition of a school resource officer, increased heating and electricity costs and increased maintenance needs at older district facilities.
Bailey said the school district currently has one SRO and, after working with the city, is contracted to have a second SRO.
He said one SRO will be stationed at the high school and another at Moscow Middle School and the elementary schools.
He said three open houses are planned in October at the district office, 650 N. Cleveland St., to provide information on the levy. The open houses are scheduled for Oct. 4, 10 and 15. Bailey said he and MSD board members will be at the Moscow Farmers Market to answer questions Oct. 6, 13, 20 and 27.
The levy will be on the Nov. 6 ballot.