Jacksonville Middle School opens its doors tonight for a special presentation on the proposed Jacksonville School District tax levy.
The meeting begins at 6 at the school on Lincoln Avenue.
The school board is seeking the maximum 10-percent tax levy increase, but Jacksonville school superintendent Steve Ptacek says the district won’t get that full amount because of limits tied to the consumer price index of 2-point-9 percent.
Tonight’s presentation will be presented again Wednesday night before the Jacksonville school board meeting, again at Jacksonville Middle School. But, Ptacek says the best chance to attend and ask questions is tonight.
He says people will be asked to put their questions on paper, and depending on the turnout, it could turn into a question and answer session…unless there is a big turnout.
Ptacek says he is proud of the work the school board has done to keep school district tax rates lower than many around the state.
He says the school improvements the board has been able to approve aren’t tied to the property tax rate.
They are funded by the sales tax devoted to schools.
Without the sales tax, the health life safety bonds would go directly into the school tax rate. And, schools have been given much more flexibility to seek out those bonds in the past couple of years.
The public is encouraged to come to tonight’s meeting or the meeting Wednesday, again both at Jacksonville Middle School.