Steamboat Pilot & Today

Hayden — The Hayden School District will ask voters in November to consider a property tax increase to help address future expected budget cuts.

The School Board, by a 4-0 vote, approved a motion Wednesday night to ask residents to consider approving a mill levy override to generate as much as $344,560 per year. School Board member Kurt Frentress didn’t attend the meeting.

After the meeting, School Board President Brian Hoza reiterated that revenue generated from the override would help the district address future expected cuts from the state, maintain staff, protect staff salaries and benefits, and minimize programs that might be at risk with fewer students expected in upcoming years.

“It’s sort of Phase 2 of a declining resources problem as our challenges continue to grow,” Hoza said.

He added that asking voters to consider the override was a response to a survey of district residents last spring, which indicated support for it. The override would cost about $33 per $100,000 of assessed residential property value annually.

Superintendent Mike Luppes said board members would consider ballot language, which is due to the Routt County Clerk and Recorder’s Office by Sept. 3, at the School Board’s August meeting.

At that meeting, Luppes said, board members will be presented versions of the ballot language that will include an override of the maximum amount (to generate $344,560) or a partial amount. He also said the options would include language with and without a sunset date.

“We would like to have no sunset,” Luppes told the School Board. “That would be nice, but I don’t think it’s feasible.”

The board will discuss and take action to approve the ballot language at the August meeting, Luppes said. He said before the election, the district will include information about the override in the back-to-school pack­­­et that is sent to parents. In addition, Hoza suggested that information be provided at back-to-school open houses and possibly during forums hosted by the School Board.

In other action

■ Approved, by a 4-0 vote, Tammie Mader as the district’s transportation coordinator. Mader, a bus driver for the district, will be responsible for scheduling and communicating with school principals, district administration and the Moffat County School District, with whom Hayden contracted for annual inspections and general maintenance work. Luppes estimated that Mader would spend two to three hours a day for 200 days per year in that capacity making the same amount she does as a driver, more than $16 an hour.

■ Entered exec­­utive session to discuss Colo­ra­do Student Asses­sment Pro­gram scores, which have been embargoed by the Colorado Department of Ed­ucation until August, and a personnel matter related to hiring.