The Randall School Board voted unanimously Wednesday to hold a referendum seeking authority to exceed the district’s revenue limit.
The board is seeking to exceed the revenue limit by $460,000 for three years on a non‐recurring basis.
The board chose Oct. 13 as the date for the referendum. As there is no other election scheduled for that date, this will be a special election.
District administrator John Gendron said the $460,000, based on district projections, would keep the tax rate for the district the same as it is now for the first two years of the referendum period ($6.61/$1,000 of assessed valuation), with a possible decrease in the last year.
The additional revenue will help make up projected budget deficits brought on by decreases in state aid and tax levy, Gendron said. For example, he pointed out that the district has seen a $1 million decrease in revenue limit since 2009 and about a 51 percent decrease in state aid during about the same period.
The district has made several significant steps to reduce personnel and other costs this year, but still projected budget deficits for the coming years, Gendron said.
The referendum funds, if approved, also would be earmarked for several other purposes including $51,000 for facility projects, $120,000 to fund the purchase of one or maybe two buses and $90,000 to help restore a 15 percent fund balance, Gendron said.
Randall voters have not faced a referendum since 2001, which was for a building issue. The last one before that was 1993.
“The district is moving into an area that it hasn’t been in in a long time,” Gendron said.
Still he said he felt the additional funds were needed for the district to be able to continue to offer an enhanced education experience for students.
“I don’t think, I know, this is the right thing for our district,” Gendron said.
