NO NEW TAXES: JACKSON SCHOOLS AGAIN VOTE TO KEEP SAME LEVY

JACKSON -- The Jackson Board of Education voted not to change the school district's tax levy during a meeting held Tuesday night.

People living in the school district, which includes portions of Cape Girardeau and Bollinger counties, will again be taxed $3.21 per $100 assessed valuation. The levy includes a $2.75 tax rate for the district's incidental fund, which pays most operational costs. The amount also collects 46 cents to cover the debt service fund, which covers the costs for bonds sold by the school district.

A little more than $6.57 million in taxes will be levied at this tax rate for the coming year.

Dr. Terry Gibbons, assistant superintendent for finance and support services, said the tax levy has remained unchanged since about 1993. Administrators recommended leaving the debt service levy unchanged for another year, although that decision will mean the school district will have to use some reserve balances to cover costs not covered by that fund.

"We're basing that (recommendation) on the fact that we told voters when the bond issue was passed we would try to keep the debt service levy at 46 cents," said Gibbons. "We're projecting that with continued growth and assessed valuation, we would not have to dip into the balances again after this year."

Fred Jones, assistant superintendent of curriculum and personnel, informed board members that school enrollment is expected to dip slightly when classes convene today. By the close of business Tuesday afternoon, 4,269 students had enrolled for the 1998-99 school year.

This dip ends a three-year growth spurt the school district has experienced. Jackson schools enrolled 4,014 students during the 1995-96 school year, 4,123 during the 1996-97 school year, and 4,275 students during the 1997-98 school year.

Jones said the numbers are a little misleading, however, because enrollment for each of the earlier years is based on a state-required figure that is not calculated until the last Wednesday in September. This figure, called the fall benchmark enrollment, is collected twice yearly for the purpose of calculating state funding.

Jones said he expects the enrollment projection to change several times before this year's benchmark enrollment is figured Sept. 23.

"We're sure there will be kids who show up on our doorstep tomorrow that we have not accounted for," he said. "We have some room for additional students and we expect that."