East Helena’s public school board has requested a mill levy to fund the hiring of at least five full-time teachers, enabling more electives, flexible scheduling and smaller class sizes.
“Most of the new positions will be in the middle and high schools,” said East Helena Public Schools Superintendent Dan Rispens. “There is, however, a distinct possibility that we will need an additional teaching position in the primary grades to offset enrollment increases and keep class sizes low.”
On their May 5 ballots, East Helena voters will see a $392,000 levy to fund new teacher hiring and help schools shift back to a 7-period school day, rather than the 4-period block schedule in place since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school district says the estimated added tax cost would be $4 to $6 per month for most East Helena homeowners. Rispens appreciated how higher costs and property taxes had pinched residents, but explained that the state’s 3% cap on annual educational funding increases had been problematic with national inflation rates hovering around that mark in recent years.
“It has been difficult to get staffing back to a level at which the middle and high school could consider a return to the traditional 7-period schedule,” he said.
East Helena schools’ funding has been at a low ebb for several years. In 2023, the district depleted its COVID-era funds and proposed a levy to offset the loss. That levy failed, resulting in the elimination or reduction of several programs, according to Rispens.
In addition to financing a class schedule shift in line with state standards, the levy is also expected to fund the hiring of an agriculture teacher and the addition of English electives such as drama and journalism.
The school district plans to host a public event on the levy, April 21 at 6:30 p.m. at Missouri River Brewing, at which Rispens is expected to provide more detail.
GENERAL FUND PROPOSITION
Shall the board of trustees be authorized to impose an increase in local taxes to support the general fund in the amount of three hundred ninety-two thousand one hundred seventy-two dollars ($392,172 ) per year which is approximately 14.09 mills, for the purpose of: general operating and maintaining of the School District?
Passage of this proposal will increase the taxes on a home with a market value of $100,000 by approximately $10.71 per year, on a home with a market value of $300,000 by approximately $32.13 per year, and on a home with a market value of $600,000 by approximately $68.63 per year. An increase in property taxes may lead to an increase in rental costs.
The durational limit of the levy is permanent once approved by the voters, assuming the district levies that amount each year thereafter. However, lowering over-BASE tax levies in any year will lower the amount of permissively over-BASE levies in subsequent years.
FOR the Additional Levy
AGAINST the Additional Levy
