JEROMESVILLE — Mapleton Local School District will have two levy renewals on the upcoming 2020 ballot, a 4.0 mill levy renewal for permanent improvements and 4.0 mill levy renewal for current expenses.
Both levies are renewals, so there is no increased rate for taxpayers.
The two levies were first passed in 1991 and are four mills for each one dollar of valuation, which equates forty cents for each $100 of valuation for a continuing period.
“These are both continuing at the same rate,” said Kathleen Wiley, Treasurer for Mapleton Local School District. “We did this to save the taxpayers money.
“It costs around $5,000 to the taxpayers every time we renew. This is for attorney fees for preparation of the renewals and Board of Education fees.”
The current expenses levy renewal will be used for general funds, which includes updating technology, purchasing textbooks, school supplies, custodial supplies, bus repairs, employee salaries and benefits, as well as property insurance. It brings in over $322,000 per year to the district.
The permanent improvements levy renewal, on the other hand, brings in over $265,000. This levy has been used for a multitude of recent projects including the replacement of some school buses, the purchase of an additional transportation van, repaved asphalt at the high school parking lot, blinking school zone safety signs.
Funds from this levy have also been used to purchase science lab materials, technology including Chromebooks and laptops, and additional textbooks as well. This levy has also allowed the district to establish outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, upgrade their security camera systems, and install classroom amplification systems for the hearing impaired.
If the levy passes, it will also cover several future purchases including a repaved parking lot at Mapleton Elementary School, gym roof repairs at the middle school, exterior brickwork maintenance, a bus washing station as well as a stage extension for the high school/ middle school with an upgraded lighting and audio system.
“Our building levy was paid off along with the classroom facilities maintenance bond in December of 2019,” said Wiley. “The building levy was 4.2 mills, and the classroom facilities was 0.5 mills.
“The taxpayers are no longer paying this.”
Residents within the Mapleton Local School District will see the two levy renewals on their 2020 ballot.
