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Ashland ponders local option levy Old youth activity levy is running out By WENDY SIPOREN ASHLAND -- In anticipation of the expiration of the three-year property tax levy for youth activities next year, the Ashland School Board is leaning toward asking district voters to approve a local option levy in May. "We don't want to ask for any more than we need," said board member Alan DeBoer after a board study session Thursday. But during the meeting attended by school district personnel and parents, the possibility of generating $300,000 to $400,000 more annually for the district brought out a chorus of suggestions for where that money might be spent. Adopted by the legislature this year, the local option levy gives school districts the power to increase funding over and above their state payment of $5,000 per student. The city of Corvallis became the first in the state to approve a local option levy for schools earlier this month when voters approved a $15 million levy for counseling, music, art and physical education programs over five years. The youth activities levy was first approved in 1994 for $970,000 to help make up the shortfall in school funding caused by state property tax limitations approved in 1990. A three-year $1.1 million levy was again passed by city voters in 1997. The youth activities levy currently funds facility maintenance and a variety of activities including music, language, newspaper, yearbook, debate, drama and sports. The largest proportion of the funds, $452,000, goes to sports programs at the high school. Approximately $100,000 of the levy annually goes to programs run by the Parks and Recreation Department, including summer programs at Garfield Park and the teen activity center. These activities could be funded by the school district if a local option levy is passed. District business manager Loren Luman estimates that the district would have to cut nearly $1.5 million from current school programs, if one of the levy options isn't passed by voters next year. By state law under the local option levy, the school district is limited to asking for the smallest of three different funding options -- which in the case of the Ashland district would be 10 percent of the state funding to the district or $1,818,400 according to Luman. The local option levy has the advantage of coming directly to the school district, rather than going through the city budget and wouldn't be restricted to extra-curricular activities. But it would mean asking a wider group of taxpayers -- 3,000 more people outside the city limits but within the school district -- to fund the programs. Board member Dan Thorndike said the local option levy could be used to make up for shortfalls in the district budget that a renewal of the city levy couldn't. The school district is facing increasing budget shortfalls due to decreasing enrollment, increasing labor costs and inflation, said Luman. The district plans to use reserve funds to carry it through to the next budget cycle. "That's our last catch to get us out of our trouble before we begin to cut services," he said. The board is expected to gather more public input on subject and make a decision by the end of January. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 1999, Medford, Oregon USA