District seeks current levy renewal with increase

Superintendent says funds needed for building upkeep and improvements to outdated stadium facilities

The Kirtland School District is asking voters on May 4 to approve the renewal of a five-year 1.1-mill permanent improvement levy with an additional increase of 0.95 mills.

The levy is used to provide funds for general maintenance of Kirtland’s school facilities, such as building upkeep and repairs.

If the levy passes, it would cost taxpayers $55.51 annually per $100,000 in appraised residential property valuation, according to the Lake County Auditor’s Office. The increased renewal levy would yield $341,591 annually.

The 1.1-mill levy originally passed 25 years ago and has been continuously renewed every five years.

According to Kirtland Superintendent Chad VanArnhem, the district is including an additional 0.95 mills to the levy this year due to the increased cost of facility maintenance and the lack of funds to take on other major improvement projects.

“The existing PI [permanent improvement] collects approximately $250,000 each year to repair and maintain our school buildings, which is the same amount that has been collected for the past 25 years despite the increased costs to maintain our facilities,” VanArnhem said. “Maintenance and upgrade needs now total up to about $350,000 each year in our five-year capital plan.”

“Issue 1 will allow the district to update a high school science lab, K-3 classrooms, technology, and safety and security districtwide,” he added.

“The additional 0.95 mills allows us to address these problems and our outdated stadium. Our stadium has some deficiencies and is in need of updating as well.”

VanArnhem explained that seating in their stadium is not handicap accessible, and both sides of the bleachers are outdated. He said that the home fans’ bleachers are 50 years old, and the visitor’s bleachers are 70 years old.

“Due to its size and surface, the field currently provides very limited use,” he said. “Issue 1 will allow us to turf and widen the field so it can be used for girls and boys soccer, band practice, elementary physical education classes, recess, spring practices for baseball/softball, and potential use by youth teams and other members of our community.”

VanArnhem said that the permanent improvement levy is very important to the district, and if it does not pass, the district would lose the $250,000 it receives for improvements every year.

“The items listed to be fixed and upgraded may not be able to take place or will be deferred to a later date,” he said.

The superintendent added that the district has always done its best to stretch its dollars, and earned the Auditor of State “Taxpayer Hero” Award in 2018 for its innovative cost-cutting ideas to increase efficiency. He said that they would continue this practice even with the increased levy.

“The district will continue to look for ways to reduce and/ or share costs with neighboring districts and the city,” VanArnhem said.