Local school administrators address proposed property tax increase

In light of new legislation giving Montana school districts the authority to raise property taxes in order to fund facility upgrades and repairs, administrators from across the Mission Valley visited the Lake County Pachyderm Club last week to explain the issue and ease concerns of homeowners.

“I apologize for any fear, and what this might have looked like,” Polson School District Superintendent Rex Weltz said, referring to a public notice posted in April outlining the projected increases.

Senate Bill 307, which passed with bi-partisan support, allows districts to raise levies up to 10 mills in order to fund facility improvements. The legislation also includes heightened transparency and public notice requirements, which mandated that districts seeking to take advantage of the bill pass resolutions of intent well in advance.

Weltz and his fellow administrators stressed that the posted figures were preliminary estimates, and that any tax increases will require an additional school board vote in August.

“Our board is very sensitive to adding more to peoples’ plates,” Weltz said.

Under SB 307, schools are permitted to raise $15,000 per district, plus $100 for each enrolled student. After the second year of increases, the state will match 18-80 percent of what was revenue was generated, depending on the financial demographics of the district.

While administrators welcome the extra money, they said it falls short of what is required to fix the problems plaguing local schools.

St. Ignatius Superintendent Jason Sargent said his schools are suffering from structural issues, including cracked foundations and crumbling walls. He estimated it would cost upward of upward of $8 million to bring facilities up to standards.

Because of the district’s limited tax base, Sargent said SB 307 will provide St. Ignatius Schools with about $60,000 in revenue.

“That will buy a few cabinets and desks,” Sargent said.

In the past, Montana awarded money for school facility upgrades through a Quality Schools Grant, however the program was not funded during the last two legislative sessions.

Sargent said his district was identified as a top priority in the state and was picked to receive the grant two sessions in a row, but the money never came through.

“It was very discouraging,” he said.

This prompted Pachyderm members to question how state lawmakers have addressed the issue.

“Why does the legislature keep putting us in this situation and if falls onto taxpayers?” asked Dr. Linda Reksten, a former superintendent of Polson schools.

State Sen. Dan Salomon, R-Pablo, who was in attendance, replied that lawmakers worked with what limited resources they had. He said SB 307 took money from the state coal trust and put it into school funding.

Officials at the meeting largely agreed that a long-term solution hinged on Montana’s ability to create jobs and increase revenue through natural resource production.

Members of the audience were receptive to the administrators’ arguments, however some suggested school officials increase their public outreach efforts in order to soften the blow of yet another tax increase.

“It felt like taxation without representation,” Rollins resident Ron Tjaden said. “If we’re going to do this, at least pat us on the back a little.”