Voters approve ‘crucial’ capital improvements fund for 3 area school districts

Voters in the Linn-Mar and Marion school districts have renewed capital projects funds that school officials say are critical to maintaining facilities and purchasing vehicles and technology.

Benton Community School District voters also approved the creation of this fund for schools there that will pay for safety and security enhancements, heating and cooling upgrades, renovations to classrooms and outdoor infrastructure improvements.

The tax-supported fund, called the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, will create millions in revenue annually for the three school districts.

Voters in Linn-Mar and Marion Independent schools overwhelmingly supported extending their existing levy in Tuesday’s special elections.

“We would like to thank our residents for all of their engagement leading up to Election Day and the overwhelming support they provided to this important ballot measure,” Linn-Mar Superintendent Amy Kortemeyer said in a statement. “PPEL funds are a critical part of our annual budget, and our community believes in the importance of investing in our schools and students.”

In the Linn-Mar district, 74.8 percent of the 2,842 votes were in favor of extending the levy. Linn-Mar plans to use the funds for school security upgrades, including doors and locking systems; technology infrastructure improvements; roof repairs and replacements; school restroom updates; parking lot improvements; heating and cooling system maintenance; and the annual replacement of three to four buses.

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In Marion, voters approved the measure by 79.7 percent. A total of 645 votes were cast.

“I’m very thankful for our community and for our staff who helped communicate and make sure accurate information was out there,” Marion Superintendent Janelle Brouwer said.

A portion of PPEL will be designated to funding projects at Marion High School, including updating the heating and cooling system and upgrading to more energy-efficient lights.

PPEL also helps pay for school maintenance costs both expected and unexpected. When the roof of Francis Marion Intermediate School in Marion partially collapsed in October 2023 during a storm, for example, repairs to the roof and fire safety equipment were paid for through PPEL.

The fund ensures “students have pride in the facilities that serve them,” Brouwer said.

Both school districts have had the funds in place for more than a decade. The PPEL will in Linn-Mar and Marion now will be extended through 2035 at the existing rate of $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value.

Benton approves new PPEL fund

Benton voters narrowly approved the fund with almost 55 percent approval. Results show there were 1,515 votes cast in Benton and Iowa counties. Of those, 833 voted yes. The measure needed a simple majority to pass.

The Benton Community PPEL will be set through 2035 at a rate of $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value. But it is estimated the property tax levy will increase the overall school tax rate 74 cents per $1,000 of taxable value.

For a $200,000 home, the estimated increase to school property taxes in the district would be $65 a year, or a total of $966 a year for all school taxes. The state’s rollback formula decreases the percentage of residential property that is taxable from 54.6 percent to about 46 percent.

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Benton Superintendent James Bieschke said the district sought feedback from the community, and collected 1,700 surveys, that helped the board prioritize projects.

Bieschke said school officials will continue to be “fiscally responsible to our citizens” and be “good stewards” of the revenue generated through PPEL.

“I’m really grateful to our community that got out and voted,” Bieschke said. “I’m grateful for our board and the hard work they put in to really listen to that feedback from our stakeholders and implement that plan for the use of these funds. We’re happy it passed and thankful for everyone that got out and vote. Now, we have a lot of hard work to get quotes, bids and carry out the plans as we advertised to our community.”

The fund creation comes a year after a multimillion dollar bond referendum in the district failed. The previous voter-approved PPEL for the district expired in 2010. It was used to improve district facilities and transportation.

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