Opposed to millage

Dear editor:

The Lakeside School District has a millage tax increase on the May 22 primary ballot. The 4-mill request translates into an 11-percent increase and does not exempt senior citizens with frozen taxes. As more information has been released (under the pressure from citizens), it becomes clear what has happened at the affluent Lakeside School District. (This does not include the resignation of a school board member accused of fraud).

The school district has soft-soaped the parents with several “It’s for the kids” tear-jerking nonsense sessions, but waited until the last minute to allow, belatedly, the rest of the voters the information. What has been forgotten is the cost to those whose taxes will increase.

Property construction and population growth coupled with reassessments in the district have increased school district revenue such that it doubled over the past 13 years. Unfortunately, school district expenses have grown even faster than revenue. This raises some obvious questions.

First, why didn’t the school district take a significant portion of the revenue windfall and accelerate the pay-down of the bonds issued in 2011/12? What size are the tornado shelters which, I doubt, can hold the entire student population and what did they cost? With the last millage increase just over 15 years old, it would appear asking for more tax money is a bit irresponsible.

Now with a 37-percent increase in student population, they want to build a new school. My problem is the plan to refinance the $12.6 million of the old debt with a new bond issue, which rolls this debt into the new payment and lengthening the term. This dubious plan is clear evidence of poor financial management on the part of the school board. Not paying down debt when your income rises and letting your expenses rise, as the school board has done, is just like loading up a bunch of credit cards and refinancing your house to get lower total payments.

I also have problems with the school district enrollment forecasting, since we don’t know what the long-term effect of the student population growth will be. A short-term increase using temporary classrooms is not a bad idea, nor will the lack of a new building inhibit education, given good teachers and students willing to learn. The high school building I attended was just torn down in 2017 after almost a 100 years as a classroom facility.

Vote no for the Lakeside millage increase. The taxpayers need more time to assess this mess.