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MUSD Governing Board: To tax or not to tax
Marilyn Netoskie
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
A majority of the members of the Maricopa Unified School District (MUSD) Governing Board approved a five percent override tax for two years. At a special meeting on August 1, 2012, the motion was approved by a 3-2 vote. MUSD Board member Jim Irving and MUSD Board President Scott Bartle voted against the motion.
A previous motion made by Irving, and seconded by Bartle, for a five percent override tax for five years was defeated by a vote of 2-3. Torri Anderson, vice president of the Governing Board, was one of the three members who voted against the motion. Anderson stated, “I think we have a great chance if we limit the override to two years, at five percent.” Patti Coutre and Leslie Carlyle-Burnett also voted against the motion.
If approved by the voters in the November 2012, election, a five percent tax would result in a property tax increase of $57.70 a year on a home costing $100,000. This action would also add $1.35 million per year to the Maricopa Unified School District’s maintenance and operations (M&0) fund.
During the Call to the Public agenda section, several community members expressed their approval for the two year, five percent tax. Maricopa City Councilman Leon Potter said he also supports the five percent override tax for two years. “I am concerned how the public will react,” said Potter. “We need to have a good reach out to the community, to make sure they understand the need for the override.”
Jim Rives of the Executive Leadership Institute at 20987 N. John Wayne Parkway in Maricopa stated he was very impressed with Superintendent Chestnut. “I have been asked, “How many times does the public have to say ‘No’ to a tax override,” and I reply, as long as we hear the voices of children. We have a problem but we will not give up on our children. Even with a shorter time to execute the override, we can nail it thanks to the leadership of Superintendent Chestnut.”
Ak-Chin Indian Community Tribal Council Chairman Louis Manual spoke to the Governing Board expressing his support for the override. Chairman Manual told the Board, “We will continue to support the school system; we will support the MUSD.”
The Governing Board did not designate the exact disbursement of funds if the voters pass the override. The Board preferred to leave the decision to Superintendent Chestnut and the override committee, which is composed of 30 members of the community. However, Superintendent Chestnut had a presentation ready to explain his recommendations. Plan A and Plan B. “I always like to have a plan B ready in case plan A is not acceptable,” he said.
“First, I want everyone to know that I sought feedback from the district staff, and asked them this question. What should I recommend to the governing board concerning an override on the November 2012 ballot? The replies were almost unanimous for the five percent tax override for a two-year term. I believe the yes vote was 84 percent and the no vote was 16 percent.”
One plan called for an option to spend $650,000 to add 13 teachers, with four teachers in the group to teach elementary art. The other nine teachers would be placed where the classes were the most overloaded with students. There would be an expansion of the blended learning program and installation of the WiFi Internet. Superintendent Chestnut said he was surprised to find the district was not already wireless, given the recent construction of the schools. Also in this plan was the funding of one year of experience on the teacher salary schedule.
Another plan was somewhat similar to the first plan with the hiring of 13 teachers, nine to reduce class size but add the other four elementary teachers as enrichment teachers. The proposals for expanding the blended learning program and installing the wireless technology would remain the same as the first plan.
However, in the second plan, Chestnut wanted to give school administrators and certified staff a cost-of-living raise. This recommendation did not meet with unanimous approval from his 30-member override committee. The override committee, instead, wanted to spend $300,000 to add another year to the teachers’ salary schedules. The committee wanted to do this because teachers in Maricopa haven’t had a raise for the past five years.
Superintendent Chestnut said he will meet with the 30-member override committee before the next Governing Board meeting and try to come to an agreement about the dispersal of funds should the five percent override receive voter approval.
The next meeting of the MUSD Governing board will be Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 6:00 P.M. in the boardroom of the MUSD Administration building. It is located at 44150 W. Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway in Maricopa. You can call (520) 568-5100 for further information.
Note: During the Call to the Public part of the meeting, Lisa Hornbacker and Scott Burgin, who are parents of students attending Desert Wind Middle School, addressed the MUSD Governing Board as to why bus service to transport students to Desert Wind and back to their homes had been canceled. MUSD Board President Scott Bartle said he could not answer that question since it was not listed on the agenda. Bartle directed the parents to discuss their concern with Superintendent Chestnut after the meeting.
After his address to all MUSD employees at the Welcome Back Breakfast on August 3, The Communicator asked Superintendent Chestnut if the bus problem at Desert Wind Middle School had been resolved. Superintendent Chestnut replied, “The MUSD Transportation Department is working with the parents of students at Desert Wind Middle School, and we expect an amiable settlement for both sides to this problem very soon. We will let everyone know when the settlement is reached.”
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Marilyn Netoskie / CopaNews.com
MUSD Board member Jim Irving was one of the two members who voted against the override.
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