Campbell schools seek to renew levy

The amount of millage the district is asking for has gone down.

By Jeanne Starmack

CAMPBELL — The city school board has voted to put a 12-mill, five-year renewal levy on the ballot in May.

Voters will be asked to renew the levy, meaning no new taxes, in the May 4 election, officials said.

The board voted unanimously at a meeting last month.

The levy, against assessed property values, would bring in $1.20 for every $100 of valuation, according to a board resolution to proceed with submitting it.

It brings in $989,711 a year. The revenue goes into the district’s emergency levy fund and is used for a variety of expenses, including teachers’ salaries at all three schools, officials said.

The millage has gone down from 14.1 mills five years ago.

Superintendent Thomas Robey said 12 mills will raise the same amount of revenue as 14.1 mills did then, adding that it’s fortunate the amount of millage declined. He said the auditor’s certification of the new lower millage likely reflects a rise in property values and the addition of new property in the city.

The board began talking about the levy in October, with Robey saying then that it’s critical the levy passes.

The district’s five-year forecast predicts deficits of nearly $1.4 million in 2012, more than $3.6 million in 2013 and more than $6.1 million in 2014.

District Treasurer Nora Montanez said that forecast doesn’t include federal grants because she can’t predict what will be available.

Robey said expenditures are exceeding revenues because of a decline in state dollars and because Campbell’s enrollment is decreasing. The district lost 100 students over the past five years, he said.

Montanez said deficit spending will erode healthy budget carry-overs from one year to the next.