Residents of the Missouri Valley Community School District will vote to renew the district's Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) and a Revenue Purpose Statement on Tuesday, March 4.
If approved, the two measures will continue to provide MVCSD with funds and financial
flexibility to address some of its most pressing infrastructure and equipment needs, Superintendent Christi Gochenour said, while providing the district's students with more resources.
“The School Board and administration respect the needs of our property taxpayers and continually
look for ways to protect the investments that have already been made in our schools,” Gochenour said. “The voted PPEL and Revenue Purpose Statement will help ensure Missouri Valley remains home to an incredibly high-quality educational environment for years to come.”
MVCSD is one of the more than 85% of Iowa school districts with a voter-approved PPEL in place.
Funds generated by the levy, which must be renewed every 10 years, can only be used for infrastructure and equipment repairs, purchases and improvements.
The district has used PPEL funds for a variety of needs, including infrastructure improvements, purchasing computers and technology, replacing school buses, and HVAC, plumbing and electrical system maintenance. Funds have also gone toward repairs for roofs, elevators, sidewalks and playground equipment.
The district’s existing voted PPEL has a rate of $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value (not assessed value). The measure on the March 4 ballot would continue that same rate if it’s renewed by at least 50% of voters.
“We are proposing to maintain the current PPEL rate and are not asking for additional funds,” Gochenour said.
A Revenue Purpose Statement specifies how a school district can use its annual disbursement of statewide one-penny sales tax revenue provided by the state’s Secure an Advanced Vision of Education fund (SAVE).
“The Revenue Purpose Statement would simply allow us to use SAVE funds in a manner most effective for our district,” Gochenour said. “This would not increase local property taxes or sales taxes, and it would not create a new tax.”
Polls will be open on election day (March 4) from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., and polling locations can be found at https://sos.iowa.gov/elections. A valid ID is required to cast a ballot.
