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Trisha Benton Randolph Times
RANDOLPH – The Randolph Public Schools annual budget increased slightly but its overall tax levy decreased due to the district’s rise in property valuations.
Valuations in the district - which includes Cedar, Wayne and Pierce counties - increased by $103 million, or 13 percent from last year.
An increase in salaries and some additional funds to offset depreciation costs bumped the school district’s annual budget to an increase of 2.74 percent over last year. Along with revenues levied for the school’s general fund, $50,500 will be levied into the special building fund this year.
With that, the school’s tax levy rate was set and approved at 38 cents per $100 of assessed property valuation for the upcoming fiscal year, a decreased of almost four cents, said Superintendent Daryl Schrunk.
The school board approved the district budget and the associated tax asking requirement at its regular meeting last week, without receiving any public comment.
The district had been levying quite a bit more into its special building fund since 2020 to pay for new construction to replace the current vocational ag building.
COVID-19 and skyrocketing building costs forced the board to put its building plan on hold. Four years later, building prices have leveled but changes in legislation now limit the amount boards can levy into special building funds.
The board is also not able to raise property taxes to pay for construction as the Legislature has capped the district’s budget growth at 3 percent.
After months of discussion which included a steering committee made up of Randolph residents and its construction management firm, the board decided to pursue a bond issue which will be on the November ballot.
“We reviewed a variety of facility options before selecting this as the most common sense, fiscally conservative approach,” said Board President Paul Schmit.
If passed, the $9.75-million bond issue will not only cover a new ag building which will also house career technical education programs, but will also make other improvements to both the high school and elementary schools.
In total, nearly $4.9 million is planned for upgrades at the elementary, $4.2 million for a new vocational ag/career technical education building; and almost $650,000 for updates to the high school building.
“This bond election is a crucial step in ensuring that Randolph Public Schools remains a top-quality educational institution for our students,” Schrunk said. “The proposed improvements will not only address critical safety and security concerns but also provide our students with modern facilities that prepare them to be a valuable part of tomorrow’s workforce.”
The bond amount has a projected tax rate increase of 10.5 cents per $100 of valuation.
A new website, randolphbuildstomorrow.org, has been developed to share information on the bond issue, including a tax calculator for patrons, enrollment trends, and answers to frequently asked questions.
The district invites patrons to attend an upcoming community meeting to learn more about the proposed projects. School tours will be available following the meetings set for 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 3, at the elementary; and 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9, at the high school.
Information from High School Principal Brandi Bartels presented at last week’s board meeting indicated that more than 60 students will be utilizing the vocational ag building this year, which represents 60 percent of Junior High and high school students. Over the past five years, that number has stayed consistent with at least one year with more than 70 students taking a class there.
Along with a strong interest in agriculture class offerings, Bartels said participation in music and band has also increased this academic year.
