OPINION: Vote 'Yes' to invest in Montezuma

Dear Editor:

Montezuma is actually one of the two least expensive places to educate a child compared to the following schools. The $11.5 million school bond issue will not directly affect the per pupil cost of educating students in Montezuma. The debt service a school district incurs is handled separately from the direct cost per pupil calculation. The Iowa Association of School Boards indicates that the Fiscal Year 2010 cost per pupil is as follows:
$5,768 - Montezuma
$5,791 - Grinnell-Newburg
$5,783 - BGM
$5,935 - North Mahaska
$5,768 - Lynnville-Sully

Further the current and previous Montezuma School District Board members have always been financially responsible to the utmost degree with the available monies. They have planned well and acted wisely.

While the Montezuma School District has experienced a decline in population over the past ten years, the trend has, at this time, reversed course. One way to continue this upward trend is to have a 21st century facility. Remodeling and updating is necessary to become compliant with state building codes and address the expectations of the community. If we do not move forward, people could choose to have their children educated in other districts.

The bond issue could, at the most, increase a residential property owner's taxes approximately 13 percent. While that does, as an initial statistic, sound like an extremely substantial increase, what matters at the end of the day is what it costs a given homeowner. At the maximum tax levy of $4.05 per $1,000 net of assessed value of, let's say a $100,000 home, a homeowner's cost is only 47 cents a day in a year. That's less than a can of pop or a cup of coffee!
Regarding a commercial property owner: At the maximum tax levy of $4.05 per $1,000 of net assessed value of a $100,000 commerical property, the net increase is $405.00 per year. That's only $1.11 per day!
Regarding an agricultural property owner: At the maximum tax levy of $4.05 per $1,000 of net assessed value, the net increase is only $3.43 per acre!
Prospective businesses and prospective employees of current businesses want to know that Montezuma has an advanced school of which they can be justifiably proud. While the graduation rates and success of graduates indicates such, the physical state of the facility does not. This plan will increase the opportunity for Montezuma to compete with other school districts and enhance economic development. We must (and we can) improve the facility to provide a 21st century education. Vote "Yes" to invest in Montezuma School and the Community.

Sandy Ross, Chair
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