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Ashland School Board seeks $1.93 million levy By WENDY SIPOREN ASHLAND -- The Ashland School Board will ask district voters in May to support a five-year, $1.93 million local option levy to fund general district operations. The levy amount was unanimously endorsed by the board Monday at the request of the Coalition for School Funding Now, the same group that organized the current city youth activities levy. The local option levy would continue the programs previously funded by the activities levy. Ashland's 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 passed by city voters in 1997. It expires this year. Adopted by the legislature this year, the local option levy gives school districts the power to increase funding over and above their state per-student funding payment, which is about $5,000 for Ashland. The city of Corvallis became the first in the state to approve a local option levy for schools in November when voters approved a $15 million for counseling, music, art and P.E. programs over five years. Coalition member Chuck Keil figures the levy will cost property owners $1.16 per $1,000 of assessed property value for the first two years and would drop after that. Property owners in the city are currently paying 95 cents per $1,000 to support the activity levy. Board Member Alan DeBoer initially objected to the $1.93 million figure. "We can certainly spend all the money, but we need to show some restraint," he said. "We've been working on $1.1 (million)." But coalition member Amy Amrhein countered that the district has been able to maintain only current programs with the help of reserve funds. Those funds are now depleted. "It's not that we've been making it with $1.1," said Amrhein. "We've been deficit spending all these years." Board member Dan Thorndike expressed support for the request. "I'm fully convinced it's not extravagant," he said. "It's basically protecting existing programs." District business manager Loren Luman estimated that the district would have to cut nearly $1.5 million from current school programs if voters don't approve the levy. The local option levy has the advantage of coming directly to the school district, rather than going through the city budget like the activities levy and isn't restricted to extra-curricular activities. But it means asking a wider group of taxpayers -- 3,000 more people outside the city limits but within the school district -- to fund the programs. It will also require a majority voter turnout. 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 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 the local option levy is passed. Mail Tribune Copyright � The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA