Elections for Board and ISL

This upcoming TUESDAY is an important day for Belmond-Klemme CSD, the communities and people of the district, and most importantly the students served. 

We have five seats open for our seven member Board of Education.  As a summary, three are running uncontested (1, 3, and 4), one will be selected as a write-in as no candidate filed papers to be on the ballot (2), and one is a contested race of two individuals (5).  Our two returning Board Members were elected to fill the at-large positions, which continue for two more years.  These are volunteer positions that carry a great deal of responsibility and often times headaches, and I want to express my thanks to the members of the Board for their guidance, effort, and support of our school.  They deserve our appreciation and thanks for doing the job they do.

Two other items are on the ballot, and both are aimed at maintaining a levy that has been in place for some time.  Although they are distinctly different, they are both aimed at supporting the overall educational effort.

NIACC is asking to maintain their Instructional Equipment Levy.  Due to the large amount of property encompassed by the NIACC district, the rate is very low, translating to just under $3 of annual tax for a residence with a valuation of $100,000.

Our local Belmond-Klemme Community School District is also asking to continue a long-standing levy.  The Instructional Support Levy (ISL) is locally generated and will again be placed on the ballot on the 13^th. 

To expand a little bit on the particulars:

This levy DIRECTLY IMPACTS our school and our community, including what we are able to do for students on a daily basis.  The funds generated from the ISL totaled $430,001 this past year, meaning it is a VERY SIGNIFICANT portion of our support.  Of this amount, $249,332 was generated in property tax, which translates to just under $100 of annual tax for a residence with a valuation of $100,000.  Another portion comes from a 3% surtax on our local incomes, which totaled $94,239.  In addition to this, the state has a portion that is supported from a formula of participating schools, which contributed $86,430 to our cause from non-local sources.  In other words, we support $343,571 locally, and the state kicks in the $86,430 to meet the $430,001 figure.  The BEST part for Belmond-Klemme, however, is that this money actually creates Spending Authority.  Losing Spending Authority is a greater threat to us than losing the actual cash.  As it can be somewhat complex, for the time being, let me explain it simply – Spending Authority is a formula driven limit on what we can spend regardless of our cash status.  Ours has been significantly declining every year since 2004, and we are attempting to turn that tide.  To make that progress, it is very important not to lose this funding stream.  As a community, I hope that we choose to continue to serve our students by voting “YES” on the Belmond-Klemme ISL on September 13^th. 

Belmond-Klemme is not alone in the need to vote on behalf of our students.  Other districts see similar items on the ballot this year.  Please take the time to understand the issues, ask questions from school officials, and most importantly go to your polling place to support the students of your district. 

Let me end this short post with an invitation, knowing full well the time crunch this may create:

I will be in the LMC at the Belmond-Klemme Jr/Sr High School Friday morning, Sept 9^th from 6AM to 8AM to try and answer questions that you may have.  Please feel free to attend and contribute to the conversation. 

Thanks for your continued support.  BRONCO PRIDE!

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