Colfax school board approves two-year levy for ballot

The Colfax School District board voted Monday to request a $1.2 million maintenance and operations levy for each of the next two school years, 2014-15 and 2015-16.

The two-year levy, if approved, would be $50,000 less than the current maintenance and operations levy of $1.2 million and $1.25 million for 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Citizens for Quality Schools member Bob Lothspeich presented the new figures and the reasoning behind them to the board Monday night.

“Because of increased funding from the state, this is the number we decided on that would be palatable to the district,” he said.

Lothspiech indicated that there have been many years in Colfax when a levy amount stayed the same from one two-year period to another, although a decrease was rare.

“In all the records I have, the district has never gone back (in levy amounts),” Lothspeich said, who has been involved with projecting district levies for more than 30 years.

“So I think that’s a good faith thing to do for the taxpayers and the school district.”

Colfax Superintendent Michael Morgan indicated his agreement with the number.

The board voted to approve it unanimously.

A maintenance and operations levy is designed to fill the gap in what the state pays for and the district’s expenditures. The matter will go to the voters in February.

“I think it’s good for the taxpayers and a good levy amount for the district as well,” Lothspeich said.

In 2012, the Colfax School District approved a two-year replacement Maintenance and Operation Levy of $1.2 million for 2013 and $1,250,000 for 2014.