Voters in the Miami R-1 School District will be asked to decide on a 50-cent property tax levy issue Tuesday, April 6.

"Oh I hope it passes, most definitely," said Jeanna Taylor, who teaches second grade as well as art for all kindergarten through eighth grade students at Miami. Taylor said she first became aware of how tight the district's budget was a year ago.

Now, Taylor recycles paper when she can, as she always has, and tries to be more thrifty in other ways such as changing the art supply company she purchases materials from, seeking one with better prices. "You're just more aware that you have to pinch pennies," she said.

Kimberly Davis, who has three children at the K-8 school, said she has had to purchase reams of paper, computer disks and dry erase markers as school supplies for her children. But, a proponent of smaller classes, she said she is willing to vote for the tax levy if it means the current quality of education will continue.

"Well, yes, if that's what's necessary to keep the schools operating in the black and keep the doors open," she said. "When you've got 10 or 12 kids in a class, that's a good deal."

Davis said she appreciates the attention teachers can give to students in small classes, which she said leads to more student participation and gets parents more involved as well.

Parents have also been asked to chip in for transportation of students to extracurricular activities such as sporting events, said Mark Petzoldt, a rural Marshall resident with two children in the Miami school. A member of the committee working toward passage of the levy, but not the school board, he said the school district covers the costs of transporting students to Marshall and Malta Bend high schools, but not Slater.

Petzoldt said increasing the tax levy from $3.4291 to $3.9291 for each $100 of assessed property value will add about $37,000 in local revenue for the district. He said that won't cover the anticipated funding cuts from the state, which he predicted will be around $122,000 for next school year.

"The initial step of cutting everything to the bare bones has been done. The next step is cutting teachers and combining classes, which would double the student-to-teacher ratio," Petzoldt said. The school currently combines classrooms for third and fourth grade and seventh and eighth grade.

Petzoldt added the school district spent some of its reserves this year and said deficit spending can only happen for another one or two years.

Miami Principal Judy Teufel said about 80 percent of the school's $900,000 budget is spent on salaries and tuition. She estimated $130,000 in tuition is paid for Miami students to attend high school in Marshall, Slater and Malta Bend. At the anticipated state proration factor, she said, the school will have to cut four or five staff members to make up a loss of $100,000. The school employs nine full-time teachers now, Teufel said. Additionally, a librarian, music teacher and councilor work two days a week. The school also employs several part-time employees to serve as cook, aide, custodian and secretary.

As for potential cuts, Teufel said the district has discussed limiting its bookkeeper to working two days a week, having the secretary work 10 or 11 months of the year instead of 12, freezing teachers' salaries and ceasing the Career Ladder program. She said the state only requires one day of counseling, music and physical education per week, which Teufel said would trim $10,000 to $15,000 per year. But, she said, the teachers need 250 minutes of planning time and must have someone who can give them a reprieve from the classes during the day. The same problem would be true if the district decides to combine more grade levels.

"Like I say, if you begin to cut those positions, you have to begin asking: What are we asking of our staff members? What are we asking of our students?" Teufel said. "So they'll be some very difficult decisions to make if the levy doesn't pass."

Gene Eddy, school board chairman, said the state's "foundation formula" was funded at about 89 percent when he started on the board three terms ago. Now, the formula, which operates as a base for figuring state aid, is about funded by the General Assembly at a level of 78 percent. "It keeps dropping," he said.

Eddy said the school has trimmed supplies and school trips and is looking at cutting either the Christmas play or spring band and choir concert. He said Miami is also trying to get more volunteer coaches.

April will mark the third time the district has tried to increase its school levy. Last time, in 2002, a 25-cent levy proposal failed by a vote of 78 for and 90 against.

Miami is one of 114 school districts in the state asking voters for a tax increase on April 6, according to a survey by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. That translates to about 20 percent of the state's 524 districts asking for more money.

Contact Jenny Bryers at

marshallag@socket.net