Ambassadors had the opportunity to hear from Grinnell-Newburg Community School Superintendent Lisa Beames about the upcoming PPEL (Physical Plant & Equipment Levy) Vote on Tuesday, March 4th. Lisa shared more about how the school board came to the decision to proceed with a March vote, how the funds and land donation will be used and why this vote is different from previous school votes.
There are 3 primary factors that played into the decision to go to vote this March.
1. Over the last 50 years, the district has had nearly 1,000 less students enrolled; this is not unique to many rural Iowa schools but does play a huge impact in budgets. This has led to a decrease of state per-pupil funding of nearly $11 million over the same time period. Our district is still operating with the same building configuration it was 50 years ago, but with significantly less students and therefore less money coming into the general fund.
2. All of the district buildings are aging. Just like homes and commercial spaces, things in schools wear out or need updated to fit within the current needs. With the closure of Davis Elementary at the end of this school year, a plan needs to be put into motion for lower elementary consolidation in a new building.
3. A lot has changed over the last 50 years in how schools operate, both from a social perspective but also from legal requirements set by the state and federal government. For example, our district's newest building was built in the 1970s during the energy crisis which led to much different physical conditions (lighting, layout, etc) in classrooms than is now considered ideal. Additional changes to student support needs, programming and teacher requirements have created challenges in best utilizing the current facilities.
The School District has done their due diligence to ensure the land donation from the @ahrensfamilyfoundation would fit their needs to build a new elementary school. They've determined, in consultation with city representatives, Alliant Energy and CMBA Architects & Engineers, that there is sufficient infrastructure to support the new building, and allow for the possibility of future growth. The District along with community partners, including those who may be impacted (e.g. Ahrens, City, and Early Learning Center), will work together to determine the future of the current spaces if the vote passes. Pending a successful levy vote, the District is committed to working in the best interest of its partners and community offerings to explore potential options for these amenities.
The District also determined that the increase in PPEL funding would generate $32 million which would be sufficient to build a K-4th grade building, and potentially K-5th (pending bids). Their strategy is to build to what they can feasibly generate through the increased PPEL and not above which differs from previous approaches where projects determined the budget and overall tax impact.
The Board has chosen to utilize PPEL funds, paired with additional dollars the district can utilize and leverage, because the commitment from the taxpayers is lower. Typically, GO (General Obligation) Bonds would increase taxes by $2.70/$1,000 assessed value and would last for 22+ years. PPEL maximum tax amount is $1.34/$1,000 and has a 10 year commitment. Districts can only go to vote on a GO Bond in November while PPEL can be taken to vote in March, September and November. The School Board decided a March vote gives the district the best path to create a plan and begin construction sooner, which would allow for a new school to come on line at the beginning of a school year, minimizing significant disruptions for students and teachers.
To learn how your personal tax commitment would adjust to support the future of education in Grinnell, visit grinnellschoolvote.com to use the tax calculator. If you'd like to hear from Superintendent Beames, join her at the Poweshiek County Fairgrounds tonight at 7 PM or Grinnell College Golf Course on Thursday at 7 PM. She'll share this presentation and answer questions from the audience. Additional sessions are planned for the coming weeks, find more details on our community calendar. Voting will take place on Tuesday, March 4 at Grinnell's Elks Lodge for Poweshiek County voters and at the Kellogg Fire Station for Jasper County voters. Early voting and absentee ballots are available, contact your county auditor for more information.
Thanks to the members that joined us including: Rachel Aresneault - Ramsey-Weeks Real Estate, Phil Grout - HyVee, Lisa Cirks - Cirks Financial Services, Jennifer McAlexander - JM Consulting, Kevin McAlexander - Hawkeye Lock, Trent Arment - Mahaska Communication Group, Dedee Lehman - All In Real Estate Inc, Matt Moyer - Bayer Crop Science, Hannah O'Polka - Cleanfoodfix Wellness Studio, Joni Schmidt - Mayflower Homes, Barb Baker - Grinnell Mutual, Donnette Ellis - Grinnell College, Alyssa Sliger - First Interstate Bank, Sarah Smith - Grinnell College, Monica St Angelo - Grinnell Are Arts Council, Jack Mathews - Our Grinnell, Katy Wells - Double You Marketing
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