By MARY RAINWATER
The Palestine Herald
PALESTINE
November 04, 2007 12:07 am
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Voters in two local school districts — Palestine Independent School District and Elkhart ISD — are being asked to cast their votes for some big issues on election day Tuesday.
Board trustees in both districts request that their constituents OK a 13-cent rollback rate, with EISD attaching a $12.3 million bond for a proposed new high school.
PISD is requesting the extra almost $2 million in funding for the purpose of providing raises for all district teachers and employees; EISD hopes to use the funds to supplement the facility costs of the proposed new high school.
According to PISD Director of Business Services Megan Lawson, the 13-cent rollback tax is higher than the state compression rate of $1.04, but taxpayers in both districts will still see an overall decrease in their total tax bills if the proposed rate is adopted.
“If approved, the overall tax rate would actually drop 20 cents compared to last year’s M&O rate of $1.37,” Lawson explained in a recent interview. “For example, the owner of a $100,000 home in PISD will likely see a bill that is an estimated $330 less than their 2006 payment.”
If PISD’s election passes, professional staff (teachers) will receive a raise of $3,500 and paraprofessionals — including manual trades, custodial staff and bus drivers — will receive a raise of $1,500.
“The $1.9 million in revenue generated from that 13 cents will be used to fund raises for all district employees,” Lawson said. “And those raises will not go away. This is a permanent bump-up.”
PISD board president Dyna Tutt explained that the proposed salary increase should make Palestine ISD a more competitive district in regards to pay compared to other Anderson County schools.
“The board and myself are all very enthusiastic about the prospect of giving our teachers and staff raises,” Tutt said. “To us, it would be a way express to our current teachers how we feel about them, and a way to attract and keep good new teachers as well.
“As the county’s largest district, we should be an example to the rest and our current salaries do not reflect that,” Tutt said. “The board wants this district to go forward and its staff to be proactive when it comes to educating our children.”
Tuesday’s election will be EISD’s third attempt in passing a bond, with steadily-increasing student growth and crowded school facilities keeping the board coming back to the taxpayers.
“Our need for facilities is not going away,” EISD superintendent Glenn Hambrick said during a board meeting earlier this year. “And because taxpayers would still see an overall lower tax bill, this is the best opportunity to do it.”
Elkhart ISD’s $12.3 million bond proposal, funded by a proposed interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate of 10-cents, is for the construction of a 35-classroom high school campus located on a 57-acre site just outside of the northern Elkhart city limits on U.S. 287.
The rollback tax election will raise an additional $2 million to go toward the estimated $14.3 million facility, if passed.
“If the bond issue passes and the $1.17 tax rate election fails, the tax rate for 2007 will be $1.04 and increase to $1.51 in 2008,” Hambrick said. “If both issues successfully pass, the tax rate for 2007 will be $1.17 and for 2008 will be $1.27.
“After two years, if the district qualifies for state debt assistance, that overall tax rate could drop to $1.21.”
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at several Anderson County locations.
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Mary Rainwater may be reached via e-mail at mrainwater@palestineherald.com
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Voting Locations
Palestine ISD
• District 1: Palestine High School, 1600 S. Loop 256, Palestine.
• District 3: Swanson Hill Community Center, 3258 E. FM 323, Palestine.
• District 6: Palestine Masonic Lodge, 900 Giraud St., Palestine.
• District 7: Washington School, 1020 W. Hamlett St., Palestine.
• District 8: Antioch Baptist Church, 907 E. Murchison St., Palestine.
• District 9: Tucker Community Center, 10621 South U.S. 79, Palestine.
• District 10: Harmony Baptist Church, 8848 FM 645, Palestine.
• District 11: Tennessee Colony Community Center, FM 321 and FM 645, Tennessee Colony.
• District 13: Sam Houston Administration Campus, 1000 E. Lamar St., Palestine.
• District 14: Story Elementary School, 5300 N. Loop 256, Palestine.
• District 15: Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, U.S. 84 East., Palestine.
• District 16: Neches Marvin Skeen Center, FM 19, Neches.
• District 17: Palestine DAV Post, 917 Gardner Dr., Palestine.
• District 20: Senior Citizen Center, 125 Kickapoo St., Palestine.
• District 21: Lone Pine Baptist Church, 299 North U.S. 287, Palestine.
• District 22: Montalba Community Center, Texas 19 South, Montalba.
• District 23: Pisgah Baptist Church, 11265 E. FM 837, Montalba.
Elkhart ISD
• District 2: Elkhart Civic Center, 309 W. Parker, Elkhart.
• District 3: Swanson Hill Community Center, 3258 E. FM 323, Palestine.
• District 4: Slocum High School, 5765 E. Texas 294, Elkhart.
• District 9: Tucker Community Center, 10621 South U.S. 79, Palestine.
• Houston County: Grapeland High School, 116 W. Myrtle St., Grapeland.
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