Athens, Tekonsha taxes on Tuesday ballot

Athens Area Schools voters will be asked Tuesday to renew a property tax levy that funds school operations and approve a sinking fund to pay for building repairs.

Next week, the district will ask voters to renew its 18-mill non-homestead millage, which was last renewed by voters about five years ago, Athens Jr./Sr. High School Principal and Superintendent Joe Huepenbecker said. The renewal would last till 2021 and allow the school district to continue to levy the statutory rate of up to 18 mills.

That millage does not apply to homeowners' primary homes, including noncommercial agricultural property, Huepenbecker said; it is assessed against non-homestead properties like commercial properties, vacant property and second homes, according to district documents.

Funds from that millage will continue to be used to pay for operations in the school district. Huepenbecker said when the state calculates per-pupil money allocations, it assumes school districts across the state will receive local funds from these 18 mill non-homestead levies. If the levies are not approved by voters, Huepenbecker said, the state does not make up the difference.

District documents indicate the operating levy, if approved, would yield about $891,463, or 17 percent of the district's revenue for the 2016-17 year.

"That's the money we use to pay for teachers, the money that we pay for transportation, textbooks, technology," Huepenbecker said. "I mean that's general fund money."

Along with the non-homestead levy, Athens school district voters will be asked to approve a 5-year, 3.5 mill sinking fund property tax levy to pay for facility renovations and repairs.

Homeowners would not see a tax increase if the sinking fund is approved. The tax levy, along with a separate bus bond previously approved by voters, would replace the 4.5 mills that property owners have paid since 2010 for a bond issue. That levy expired this year.

A homeowner with a $70,000 home would pay about $122.50 toward the sinking fund per year, according to district documents.

Proceeds from the sinking fund would go toward a variety of district facility projects, including:

• replacing roofing at Athens Jr./Sr. High School and East Leroy Elementary School 
• updating gym and exterior bleachers to address safety and accessibility problems 
• installing new domestic water lines in the high school 
• remodeling restrooms at the high school to make them accessible to those living with physical disabilities 
• installing new flooring 
• creating an accessible pathway to enter the elementary school, as well as completing some site work at the high school to address safety issues 

Huepenbecker said the roofs and water piping are decades old and the bleachers are nearing the end of their lives.

"These are just the kinds of investments that we need to make in our buildings and with the use of sinking-fund dollars, we then don't have to try to find ways to cut programming, cut teachers, cut the real nuts and bolts of education," he said.

Like Athens, Tekonsha Community Schools voters will also be asked on the Aug. 2 ballot to renew the district's 18-mill non-homestead millage. The renewal would last till 2021. If it's approved, it would  generate $296,880 to help fund district operations in 2017, Tekonsha Superintendent Jeff Kawaski said.

Contact Safiya Merchant at 269-966-0684 or smerchant@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @SafiyaMerchant