Red Oak board approves budget, Tigervision funding with 5-0 vote
Four months after voting 3-2 to start a $13 million construction project, the Red Oak school board voted 5-0 last week to approve a budget that will ensure the money is there to fund it.
Following an hour-long public hearing in which about half of the speakers supported and half opposed starting the construction project, the board casted its unanimous vote approving the budget and accompanying tax levy.
At $15.69 per $1,000 assessed valuation, the levy includes $2.11 to help pay for Inman Primary. In 1999, voters approved the bonds and accompanying property tax increase for the elementary school, but also passed a subsequent sales tax with the promise funds from it would be used to pay the debt instead.
A year ago, the board decided to replace a cash reserve levy with the $2.11 debt service levy in order to free up sales tax dollars for the pending building project.
Breaking a former school board’s promise to voters was the source of much of the opposition.
“I was here 15 years ago when the last bond was passed and the promise was made it would be paid for with sales tax,” Don Kern said. “The reason we don’t trust government is that as time goes by, government changes the rules and they don’t live up to what they told us in the past. They don’t do things they told us they were going to do or they change how they were going to fund things without asking the people.”
Board member Kathy Walker disagreed this school board broke a promise.
“I’m not denying (former board president) Roger (Carlson) told people that, but there wasn’t a manual that came with the school board position that said ‘oh by the way, we don’t levy a debt service levy,’” she said. “So when you talk about breaking a promise, please understand I didn’t know about that and two people didn’t live here … so that’s why I would say we didn’t break a promise because we didn’t know about it.”
Board member Dr. Warren Hayes, who along with Paul Griffen voted against pursuing phase one of the Tigervision project in December, expressed reservations about leaving the debt service levy and asked what impact removing it would have.
“I would love to find common ground on some issues. I don’t want to see people divided and the district divided,” Hayes said.
And while the comments made during the public hearing were respectful, it became apparent there two very different viewpoints lacking in common ground.
“I know some of you think because we are opposed to the debt service levy, we are opposed to education, but I can assure you, that’s not true,” Mark Johnson said. “I am opposed to the funding of Tigervision. Only telling the public what you want them to hear isn’t lying, but it is deceiving. If you as a school board need to deceive the public to provide our youth a quality education, then we have a system that is broken. You as board members are the leaders of our schools and at the very best should set an example of honesty and integrity. What has taken place and what the public has been told shows neither.”
The Tigervision project, which includes two phases and an estimated $26-$28 million price tag, would consolidate the district from five campuses to two. Phase one will allow the district to relocate the middle school to an expanded high school campus.
And there were many in the crowd who supported the board in pursuing part of the facility project.
“I would not want Red Oak to lose out on the opportunity of attracting families from smaller school districts and families that may have chosen to locate on Highway 34,” Linda Mahoney said. “Let’s make Red Oak be a beacon in the area and a good school district. And I do think your building project is a way to make us do that.”
Others encouraged the board to maintain their focus and not be swayed by an implied vocal minority.
“If you have traveled the Hawkeye 10 you would know our facilities are by far the most dated. No other school district in this area operate five campuses, even those two or three times our size,” John Walker said. “As board members I urge you not to be cowered by the loud voice in the room or on the radio. Vote your conscience and prepare our district for the future.”
Board President Lee Fellers reiterated Walker’s sentiment that this decision is what’s best for the district moving forward.
“Lately, we have got caught up in a new building, taxes and we have talked about a lot of numbers,” Fellers said. “And I feel like somewhere in that discussion, perhaps the board and perhaps other people have lost sight of the most important people impacted by this decision we are going to make tonight are our students. And it’s not the students we have this year, and it’s not the students we have next year, it’s all these students and all the students we don’t know about yet. This decision should set this district for many years to come and for many students to come and that’s what we need to think about.”