Residents concerned possible school tax increase

Jamestown (CSi) At a public hearing Jamestown Public School District residents expressed concerns about possible property tax increases, to help pay off deficits.

The latest projections now have the district in a deficit of $825,000 at the end of this school year.

The school district is considering and an increase the mill levy from 101.82 mills to 116.18 mills for the 2014-15 school year.

For a $100,000 property, that would amount to a $64.62 increase from $458.19 last year to $522.81 in the school’s portion of property taxes.

The 116 mills are still the second lowest levy since the 2006-07 and 2007-08 school years when the levy was 237.4 mills.

Concerns in the property tax increase included a senior citizen on a fixed income, noting increases in groceries, and no increases in entitlement benefits, and possible rent increases.

In a recent structural assessment of the Jamestown Public School District’s nine facilities, three buildings have received failing grades.

The School Board was given a report from Minneapolis-based architechs DLR Group.

Representative Christopher Gibbs said the assessment was not a reflection of the quality of education being offered at the schools, but it was simply a structural assessment of what shape those schools are in, and to help support the education as much as they can.

Using an A-to-F grading scale, the DLR Group looked at a variety of structural issues, Gussner Elementary, one of the older schools, received an F stemming in part from major concerns on the building’s heating, ventilation and air condition system.

Washington and Roosevelt Elementary schools received an F because of those concerns and for exterior work needed on Roosevelt and fire safety concerns at Washington.

Lincoln Elementary received a D noting work on the HVAC system and handicap accessibility.

The James Valley Career and Technology Center received a D because of HVAC and structural problems.

The middle school which has recently undergone some renovations, also received a D.

Louis L’Amour Elementary and the alternative high school received Cs and the Jamestown High School received a B.