Hillsboro R-3 School District employees and parents appear to support a potential levy increase to address concerns raised about security and athletic facilities on campus, according to surveys presented July 23 to school officials.
Discussions to develop a comprehensive long-range facility master plan began in response to public comments that were made at a Feb. 26 Board of Education meeting.
At that meeting, multiple residents raised concerns about security and athletic facilities, and proposed that the district could increase its levy.
On June 11, Superintendent Jon Isaacson said the district is considering placing a $1 operating levy increase on the Nov. 3 ballot. But district officials said no final decision has been made.
The Board of Education held a workshop July 23 with a presentation from Bond Architects and Hollis and Miller, which the board had hired May 28 to develop the district’s first facility master plan.
Justin Durham of Hollis and Miller and Rebecca Kleba and Tanner Smith of Bond Architects outlined results from a districtwide survey at the workshop.
Durham said there had been 524 responses to the survey, which posed numerous questions about topics such as facility improvements.
He said 50 percent of the respondents were parents, 24 percent were district employees, 15 percent were both parents and district employees, and 11 percent were community members.
He said respondents did raise concerns about the overall quality of facilities at all district campuses.
“Your buildings are in great shape, they have good bones,” Durham said during his presentation. “I think people are just yearning for some fresh paint, some minor updates and a change in look.”
Durham said the survey also asked questions about support for an unspecified increase on the district’s tax levy on the ballot in November.
Sixty-nine percent of district employees were in full support of the increase, while 19 percent were likely to support, 3 percent were undecided, 3 percent were unlikely to support, and 6 percent were not in support.
“Right now, we’re looking really good with the staff,” he said.
Twenty-nine percent of the parents who responded to the survey were in full support, while 28 percent were likely to support and 30 percent were undecided.
Durham said 67 percent of community members were in full support of a potential increase.
Should it be on the November ballot, the tax increase would require a simple majority of voters. Hillsboro’s current total tax levy is $3.6777 per $100 assessed valuation.
On July 21, the district held its first community information session on the facility master plan.
“We’re trying to grow this grassroots information a little bit so that there’s no surprises as we move along in the process,” Durham said.
The next community information session is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Aug. 27 in the Hillsboro R-3 Board Room, 10486 Business 21.