Fordland No Tax Ballot Information
April 4 - A YES vote will NOT extend or increase your taxes
28 cent No Tax Increase Levy Transfer
In June 2020, the voters of the Fordland School District approved two ballot issues. The first issue was a bond issue to renovate facilities and build a new high school gym and safe room. The second issue was to increase the tax levy to allow the district to increase compensation for all employees to attract and retain quality faculty and staff and fund the costs of capital projects.
In August 2020, the school district was required to transfer some of the voter-approved levy from our operating expenses fund (fund 1 - operations checking account) to our debt service fund (fund 3 - bond payment checking account) due to increased assessed valuation and new housing construction in the Fordland School District.
This required transfer allowed the district to pay down and refinance the 2015 bond issue SAVING the Fordland taxpayers over $800,000.
Because of Missouri statutes, the school district is required to ask the voters to transfer money from our debt service back into our operating expenses fund.
If the voters approve this $.28 transfer, it will provide approximately $150,000 annually to help offset rising operating costs.
If approved by the voters, this levy transfer will provide flexibility for the school district, help the district be competitive in salaries, and provide excellence in education for our students.
Tax rate will stay at $3.9262
- The tax rate will remain unchanged at $3.9262
- A YES vote will not extend or increase your taxes, and a No vote will NOT decrease your taxes
Ballot Language
Question #1
Shall the Board of Education of Fordland R-III School District be authorized to increase the operating tax levy ceiling to $3.2465 per $100 of assessed valuation according to the 2023 assessment for operating, maintaining and staffing school facilities?
If this question is approved, the operating tax levy of the District is estimated to increase by $0.28 per $100 of assessed valuation, and the District expects to make a corresponding reduction to its debt service tax levy in the same amount resulting in the estimated overall tax levy of the District to remain unchanged.
Fordland School District
Email: contact@fordlandschools.org
Website: www.fordlandschools.org
Location: 1230 School Street, Fordland, MO, USA
Phone: 4177672298
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fordlandsecondary/
Twitter: @FordlandR3Scho1