Voters in the Fort Dodge Community School District will decide Tuesday if the millions of dollars expected from a new statewide sales tax can be spent on a wide variety of building and grounds projects.
District Superintendent Linda Brock said voter approval would grant permission ''to utilize these funds that we will be getting anyway for the benefit of all facilities in the district.''
''We have a ways to go with modernizing our school facilities to bring them even close to 21st century classrooms,'' she added.
The item on Tuesday's school election ballot, called a revenue purpose statement, must be approved by a simple majority to become law.
The district expects to receive about $3.6 million annually from the new statewide 1-cent sales tax called the Secure and Advanced Vision for Education Fund.
Voters would not be approving specific projects if they OK the revenue purpose statement. But voter approval would give district leaders the power to spend that money on any infrastructure project.
If the voters reject the statement, the district will still get the money from the sales tax. But district leaders would only be able to spend it on Butler Elementary School and Fort Dodge Senior High School until June 30, 2009.
That's because in 1999 the voters approved the original local option sales tax only for those two buildings, according to Jack Christensen, the district's director of financial services. The SAVE Fund replaces local option sales taxes for schools across the state.
If the statement is defeated, the district could seek a new vote in April.
Christensen said that on July 1, 2009, the district could start using the money for any lawful purpose even if the voters reject the measure. But first, he said, any debt from the Butler and Senior High projects would have to be paid off.
The revenue purpose statement was written to allow considerable flexibility in how the money is spent. Christensen said that wording will avoid the need for another vote on the document if the school system's needs change.
Under the terms of the statement, the money can be spent to build, remodel and repair schools. It also can be used to buy equipment and school buses.
None of the money can be spent on teacher salaries or educational programs.
Christensen said none of the money will be spent on the Dodger Stadium renovations. That project is to be paid for with donations.
Contact Bill Shea at (515) 573-2141 or bshea@messengernews.net