JACKSON VOTERS SOUNDLY REJECT TAX INCREASE

JACKSON, Mo. -- Voters shot down a 25-cent tax increase proposal during elections Tuesday that would have provided breathing room for the Jackson School District's tight budget and crowded classrooms.

Schools superintendent Ron Anderson said the 1,196-2,119 decision means officials will have to find other ways to pay for new teachers to put in as-yet-unbuilt junior high classrooms voters approved funding for in November.

He said the district probably won't implement any massive belt-tightening measures immediately because the budget is already cut close.

"It will have long-term applications," he said. "Staffing continues to be lean, but we'll commence construction at the junior high this fall and focus on that."

Anderson knew soon after the polls closed Tuesday night that the proposal was in trouble.

The issue didn't win in a single precinct. Ultimately, the percentages were 63.92 no and 36.08 yes. Nineteen percent of Jackson School District's registered voters participated in the election.

"I though that it would be close, but I didn't know which way it would go," Anderson said. "We knew the trends run pretty even" through voting precincts.

Jackson taxpayer Elmer LaClair was among voters who opposed the increase.

"All the taxes we pay now are getting to be beyond reason," he said. "I've had enough of them. Every time you turn around, it seems you're getting hit with another."

But supporter Kathy Casteel said she believed the tax hike was necessary to draw new faculty to the area and support school projects.

"I know it's painful to pay more taxes," she said. "But in the long run, good schools make for good communities."

Anderson said enrollment for the next school year has just begun and it's unclear whether a 10-year growth spurt will continue. In any event, he said he doubts the school board will consider another tax proposal in the near future.

Staff writer Beth Lewis contributed to this report..