Chillicothe R-2 School Superintendent Dan Wiebers says he was “very disappointed” by the results of the district’s 68-cent operating tax levy increase on Tuesday, June 2nd’s ballot. The proposal failed with 790 votes in favor and 994 against. The proposal would have adjusted the operating levy of the district to an estimated $4.43 per $100 of assessed valuation.
Wiebers is unsure why the ballot measure was not approved.
He notes the 68-cent levy increase would have generated about $935,000 for Chillicothe R-2. That money would have gone to help cover operational expenses and work on improving reserves for the district.
Wiebers says the district is looking at individual line items in the budget and deciding what recommendations to make to the board. Recommendations will be made at the board’s regular meeting June 16th.
The board will consider approval of the budget at a special meeting June 29th.
When Missouri Governor Mike Parson announced a second round of withholdings, it was indicated CARES Act federal funding coming to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education would be disbursed to school districts in government Title 1 money. Wiebers says that will help fill a gap Chillicothe R-2 has.
The district will talk to the board to decide when the next appropriate time would be to run another levy request, if needed.
