Town meeting voters weigh Uxbridge override

School Committee’s request for $1.32M would be split over next 2 fiscal years

UXBRIDGE — Spring annual town meeting voters Tuesday will be asked to consider the School Committee’s request for a $1.32 million Proposition 2½ tax override to defray school salary and operational costs for fiscal year 2018.

The town meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Uxbridge High School auditorium, 300 Quaker Highway.

Article 5 of the 19-article town meeting warrant asks voters to consider a $1,320,000 override to be split between the next two fiscal years. The request includes $730,000 to be appropriated by the School Department next year, and the remaining $590,000 to be retained as excess levy capacity for next year and then appropriated by the School Department in fiscal year 2019.

The School Committee is proposing a $22.3 million fiscal 2018 budget, which leaves a $720,000 gap between expected appropriations and other revenue.

Proposition 2½ is the title given to an initiative petition adopted by Massachusetts voters in 1980. The main features of Proposition 2½ are related to the total amount of property taxes that a city or town can raise each year. The law places two limitations on the amount of property taxes to be charged to property owners:

•The property tax levy ceiling (the amount to be raised) can never exceed 2½ percent of the full cash value of all taxable property in the municipality and the tax rate cannot be greater than $25 per $1,000 of valuation.

•The property tax levy limit cannot be increased more than 2½ percent over the prior year's levy limit, unless voters in that city or town vote to exceed or "override" the tax cap.

The levy limit provisions of Proposition 2½ affect the total amount of taxes that a city or town can raise. The law does not apply to individual tax bills. Whether or not the tax rate increases or decreases from the prior year depends upon the levy voted by the community and whether property values appreciate, depreciate or remain steady.

The override proposed in Uxbridge would add 46 cents per $1,000 valuation to property taxes in fiscal 2018 and an additional 38 cents per $1,000 in fiscal 2019.

So, based on a home valued at $290,000, the annual tax bill would increase by $134 in 2018, and then increase by another $244 in 2019.

According to school officials, the override, which is a monthly increase of $10.18 to the average household over the next two years, will maintain interscholastic athletics and student activities as well as prevent class sizes from reaching 25 to 28 students at the elementary levels.

The tax override will also provide each student in grades 4-8 with individual access to computer laptop devices. In addition, the Taft Early Learning Center will gain wireless computer access throughout the building and all teachers at the Whitin Elementary School and McCloskey Middle School will be provided with computer laptops to enhance classroom instruction.

According Residents for Uxbridge Schools, a citizens group advocating for the override, approval of the measure by town meeting voters would:

•Maintain class size and instructional support.

•Implement technology into elementary classrooms. •Raise property values. Not approving the override, they say, will:

•Result in elementary classrooms exceeding 28 students.

•Raise high school athletic fees to $275 per athlete.

•Eliminate the athletic trainer position.

•Reduce some junior varsity sports that do not run without middle school participation.

•Add bus fees for those riders who currently meet the School Committee’s policy for transportation, but do not qualify for state-mandated transportation at $180 per rider with a $360 family cap. •Restrict technology usage. •Cut funds for professional development by $40,000.

•Cut two part-time secretary positions.

•Force more cuts next year.