Lisbon school board voters should vote yes on the revenue purpose statement on the general election ballot Tuesday, Nov. 2, said members of the Lisbon School Board at the Wednesday, Oct. 13 meeting.
The revenue purpose statement allows the school district to be able to levy and spend their portion of the SAVE penny. The revenue purpose statement is not a new tax, it allows the district to spend the tax dollars that are already being collected by the district. The current revenue purpose statement sunsets in 2029, but the renewal for 2030 through 2050 helps the board be able to levy against those funds for projects in the future.
The fund generates roughly $55,000 a month for the district, according to Lisbon business manager Laurie Maher. The district has utilized SAVE funds to help with paying off the Lisbon Early Childhood Center, purchase of new school buses to the bus fleet, the 1 to 1 computer leases for the Lisbon Schools and other construction projects and repairs that are needed throughout the school year. Currently the district could levy up to an additional $2.2 million over the next several years if the fund is renewed, which would help with some of the construction projects the district might need to advance, said Lisbon superintendent Pat Hocking.
As Lisbon School Board member John Prasil summed it up — “Do you want the Lisbon School Board to receive those dollars being taxed, or do you want the state to get them? It’s a tax we’re already paying with our shopping in the county.”