Hillsboro School District No. 1J
Measure No. 34-81
BALLOT TITLE
LOCAL OPTION TAX TO RESTORE SOME STAFF AND DISTRICT PROGRAMS
QUESTION: Shall District annually levy up to $1.50 per $1,000 assessed value four years beginning 2005-06 for improved programs/class size? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.
SUMMARY: Local option taxes will be used to support School District operations. The additional revenue will be targeted for additional teachers to reduce class size and to restore a portion of programs lost to budget reductions. This Measure authorizes the Hillsboro School District 1J in Washington, Yamhill and Multnomah Counties, Oregon to levy a property tax of up to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value each year for four years.
An estimate of the total amount to be raise each fiscal year is:
2005-06 $6,862,000
2006-07 $7,525,000
2007-08 $8,168,600
2008-09 $8,785,000
The total amount of money to be raised by this Measure is estimated to be $31,340,600.
The estimated tax cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE ONLY based on the best information available from the county assessors of Washington, Yamhill, and Multnomah Counties at the time of the estimate.
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
WHY – The Hillsboro School District Board proposes a four-year local option levy to restore some staff positions to reduce class size and to reinstate programs. If approved, the levy would raise between $6.8 million and $8.7 million per year for four years, for an estimated total of $31,340,600 based on information from Washington County.
While the Hillsboro School District has funds to provide a full calendar year for 2004-2005, previous reductions resulted in increased class size and loss or reduction of student education programs. Because 74 percent of Oregon’s general fund comes from personal income taxes, Oregon revenue for public services has fluctuated in the downturn of Oregon’s economy. Because most funding for school budgets comes from the state’s general fund, schools are affected by changes in the economy. Cautious budgeting has allowed the District to reduce the student to teacher ratio by two for 2004-05. While a local option levy would not solve all revenue shortfalls, it would contribute to slightly improved staffing and programs for students.
WHAT – The Oregon Legislature provided local communities a funding option that allows voters to make some funding decisions for their schools. The local option is a taxing formula based on Oregon’s two property lax limitation laws. It is calculated differently from other school taxes and bonds.
The additional revenue from the local option would be used for additional teachers to reduce class size and to restore a portion of programs lost to budget reductions. If Measure 34-81 passes, revenue will help the District
- Reduce class size
- Increase instructional support
- Increase student safety and security personnel
- Increase operations personnel and facility maintenance
- Increase support for extracurricular programs
WHEN – The local option tax measure will appear on the November 2, 2004, ballot. This is a vote-by-mail election, and ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in mid-October.
To be eligible to vote, you must be registered by October 12, 2004. Completed ballots must reach the county elections office by 8:00 p.m. on November 2, 2004. Ballots postmarked November 2 will not count.
HOW MUCH – The proposed local option tax measure would cost the property taxpayer an increase of up to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value per year over four years. For example, for a home assessed at $200,000 and a market value of $250,000 the estimated yearly increase in property taxes would be approximately $200. Property taxes would vary from property to property. Simple multiplication of the tax rate with your property value will not give an accurate estimate of your additional tax. To estimate your tax, please go to www.hsd.k12.or.us and click on local option.
Submitted by:
Jeremy Lyon, Superintendent
Hillsboro School District
No arguments FOR or AGAINST this measure were filed