As the new superintendent of Southeast Webster-Grand Community School District and in a district that is in the initial year of a Whole Grade Sharing (WGS) agreement with our neighbors to the west (Prairie Valley School), there is much to celebrate and be very proud of in our classrooms and on the stage, court and playing field, as well as in our school in general. At this important juncture in the first year of WGS, I believe the “JAGUAR JOURNEY” has been a huge success in many, many ways.

However, the most critical SWG school strategic planning item at this time has to do with informing our patrons and stakeholders of the importance of the Voted-Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (V-PPEL) on Tuesday. As a school leader who is a strong advocate for the future of our rural schools and one who is passionate about allowing each of our children many, wide-ranging, “first class” educational opportunities, the V-PPEL is an important component to SWG’s comprehensive, short-term and long-range facilities plans.

Voters in the Southeast Webster-Grand CSD will go to the polls for the V-PPEL in a special election on Tuesday. The school district’s current $.52 V-PPEL expires in 2016, and a simple majority approval is necessary to continue the levy for another 10 years. The SWG school board passed a resolution at the December meeting calling for an increase in the levy to $1 per $1,000 of assessed valuation for the upcoming special election. The approval of the V-PPEL will allow the district to more effectively use the state-provided sales tax funds it gets each year to accomplish longer term construction needs without any property tax bond issues being needed.

For almost four decades, stakeholders in this school district have only paid $.52 for the V-PPEL per $1,000 taxable valuations, rather than a higher levy amount, which legally cannot exceed $1.34. That’s a tremendous accomplishment. However; as we approach 2016 our patrons need to be made aware that with aging facilities comes infrastructure issues, along with the fact that all the programs, opportunities, and services SWG provides for each and every student have become more comprehensive, complex, and costly.

The V-PPEL resolution calls for a change in how the revenues are generated, as the Board of Education has decided to incorporate a mix of income surtax (state income tax); rather than 100 percent property taxes. The board’s goal in the proposal was to put a “lid” on property taxes. Even though the new levy has increased to $1.00 per $1,000 taxable valuation, if all the projections (“assumptions”) are correct, property taxes will actually decrease over the next 10 years.

In terms of revenues, the total amount collected would be the equivalent of what would come from a one dollar property tax levy but would include just over half of this funding coming from the income surtax that would result from a 4 percent adjustment to Iowa (only) income taxes collected through the state and sent to the district.

With the increased revenues, the district will be able to move forward and take care of (maintain) our existing, annual facilities needs, and implement some strategic, long-range facilities plans. Those long-range facilities plans may include constructing a new addition at the Dayton Elementary Center that would include a “SAFE” room (dual purpose: used for multiple classrooms as well) for all students and staff in case of a tornado or some other threatening event. In addition, the construction of a new elementary gymnasium is part of the Dayton Elementary facilities plans, allowing our school to keep each and every elementary student in the “safe and friendly” confines of the elementary building.

If the V-PPEL is successful, it would allow district officials to move forward with our comprehensive 1:1 innovative, technology initiative, pay for new roofing projects in the next two to five years, purchase buses as warranted, and equip each building with a keyless electronic entry system. The electronic security system would allow us to secure our entrances to all our buildings and create a much more safe and effective learning environment for all children, students, educators and staff.

As this guest article is titled, I have a responsibility as the superintendent of schools to be committed and invested in our children’s and school’s future. I think it’s important that no matter what happens with the PPEL, I believe that all of us; our faculty/staff, parents, families and community members are working in partnership as we truly want the best for our children and our school.

In conclusion, I’d like to take this opportunity to thank our students, families, faculty and staff, businesses and patrons for their advocacy, patience, support, commitment and willingness to deal with all the craziness, the multitude of changes, and the numerous transitions in this initial year of the Whole Grade Sharing arrangement with PV.

As a final comment, maybe we need to heed the advice of a famous NFL quarterback earlier this year when he told his fans to “R-E-L-A-X” with the realization this is a “process” and there will be successes, as well as setbacks, along this wonderful Jaguar Journey. The bottom line is we’ll keep striving for continuous improvement and educational excellence in all we do.

Rich Stoffers is superintendent of the Southeast Webster-Grand Community School District.