Voters residing in the Perry Community School District gave overwhelming support Tuesday for continuing the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), one of the primary sources of revenue used for the funding of school infrastructure, building repairs and improvements and equipment purchases.
Turnout was light at the McCreary Community Building polls, where 161 ballots were cast in favor of the PPEL proposition and 22 were cast against the measure, giving it an 88 percent approval rate.
Reaction among the school district’s leadership was joyful.
“It was awesome. It was great,” said Perry Community School District Superintendent Lynn Ubben, who has been actively informing district voters about the measure for about two months.
“I’m glad it passed, ” said PCSD Board member Linda Andorf. “There was very good work on the marketing side and no organized opposition, so I wasn’t too worried, but it’s still nice to see the high approval.”
The 88 percent approval rate was significantly higher than the margin in 2006, according to Ubben.
“I think last time it only passed by 55 percent 10 years ago,” she said. “I knew it wouldn’t be a large turnout because it was the only thing on the ballot. I think everybody did a good job of marketing it, getting it out, letting people know this is all the things we use this for. It is not a new tax, but we really do need it.”
For Perry schools, continuing the PPEL levy assures $3 million to $4 million over the next 10 years for their needs. PPEL funds are restricted by law and can only be spent on facilities, equipment or technology purchases.
“I think once they understood that it wasn’t a new tax but something we’ve had for a period of time, and here’s all the things we use it for,” Ubben said. “If we didn’t have this — remember, all that would have to come out of general funds, so all those things, you can’t go without buses, and you can’t go without equipment that you need. You can’t go without band instruments or mowers or snow plows or trucks, so all of that would have to come out of the same fund that pays teachers’ salaries and supplies for all our kids. If it didn’t come out of physical plant and equipment, where would you get it?”
Ubben noted the long list of projects that PPEL has in the past 10 years, a list she can probably repeat in her sleep after campaigning to inform voters prior to the election.
She said PPEL funds in recent years have paid for boiler replacements at both the middle and senior high schools, heat pump replacements, roof repairs, new lockers and sidewalks, instruments for the school band, playground equipment, laptop computers for students and risers for use by the performing arts departments.
Buses have also been purchased with PPEL funds, she said, and carpets have been replaced, a snow plow acquired, floor scrubbers purchased and improvements to building safety and security made.
“This way you have that particular PPEL fund that can only be used for those things,” Ubben said, “but it takes the heat off that general fund because how would you do all that?”
Tuesday’s approval vote extends by another 10 more years a funding stream PCSD voters have approved at three times before, in 1986, 1996 and in 2006.
