Sunrise R-9 School District voters will be asked on April 8 to approve the transfer of 40 cents per $100 assessed valuation from the debt service levy to the operating levy.
The ballot measure, called Proposition Kids, requires a simple majority vote for approval.
While the measure does not require a tax increase, the transfer of 40 cents to the operating tax levy would make that a permanent tax, rather than one that would expire after the debt is paid off.
The district’s overall tax levy is $4.6724 per $100 assessed valuation. If voters approve the transfer, the district would reduce the debt service levy by 40 cents and increase the operating tax levy by 40 cents. The operating tax levy would increase from $3.5241 to $3.9241, and the debt service levy would decrease from $1.1483 to $0.7483.
Sunrise Superintendent Armand Spurgin said the district, like households and businesses, is dealing with increased costs to operate, so transferring funds to the operating levy would free up more revenue to cover those expenses. Funds from the operating levy may be used for a variety of purposes, whereas funds from the debt service levy may only be used to pay off debt.
Spurgin said the district would use a large portion of the additional operating funds to pay tuition for Sunrise students when they move on to high school.
Since the district only enrolls students in kindergarten through eighth grade, it is required to pay tuition for its students to attend area high schools, and that cost is also on the rise, Spurgin said.
He said the extra revenue also would help cover the cost of employee salaries and benefits. In addition, the funds would be used to cover food costs, which, like employee costs, are increasing.
The state recently passed legislation that calls for the minimum salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s degree to increase from $38,000 to $40,000 for the 2025-2026 school year. Teachers with a master’s degree will see their minimum salaries raised to $46,000.
Along with implementing the new minimum salary, the bill requires school districts to provide a pay raise up to 3 percent every year after the 2025-2026 school year based on the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers of the U.S. as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
If voters don’t approve the levy transfer, Spurgin said, eventually the district might be forced to reduce staff and cut programs.
