School levy is an investment in Libby's future
Guest Commentary:
If you travel around Montana you will notice the newest operating buildings in any given community is the post office and the oldest functioning buildings are the schools. We have always taken great pride in our school buildings and the traditions that each bring to our communities. Our school buildings in Libby here are no different. There is a sense of pride about the schools when you visit with folks. Generations of students have graduated from these schools and have gone on to become successful citizens. They represent what is best about our community.
As our schools age we find they were not built to last an eternity, nor were they equipped to handle the diverse needs of the 21st Century. The average age of our buildings is 58 years. The oldest being the Central School, which is 79 years old and the newest being Libby Elementary at 47 years old. Through years of maintenance and upkeep, they have continued to be a vital part of our community. However, time has had an effect on the condition of the buildings. If we plan to use these buildings for the next generation, we need to address several growing issues. We know that in the next five to 10 years we will have to replace the roofs on all of the buildings. We need to replace the roof at the elementary now. Issues of mold and leaking are becoming more of an issue each year we wait. You can walk in our buildings, look at the wear and tear on the floors and see concrete where there were tiles and multiple patterns of tiles as replacements. You can look at the ceilings and see where the leaks have stained the tiles.
Some have asked why some of these repairs were not made along the way. The answer to this is some are just now becoming issues, and some is due lack of available funds. It has been 14 years since Libby Schools has passed a levy. Our district had to adjust budgets to meet the dramatic drop in student enrollment. We have lost 671 students since 2001. The good news is the past two years we have seen a slight increase in enrollment each year.
We currently operate at 90 percent of the capped available funds. That means this past year we operated $763,000 below what we could possibly fund the schools at. That makes us fiscally responsible to our community, but it does not allow funds to address major facility issues. We have applied for grants that have assisted, and currently submitted a grant for a new HVAC system at the elementary for over $1,000,000. This will update our 56-year-old antiquated heating system at the elementary.
This past year we spent over $375,000 building the district’s first cooking kitchen. We were able to do this through Metal Mines funds, without affecting the local taxpayers. This investment in the kitchen has resulted in big savings for the district. But, even had we not built the kitchen the $375,000 would not address the major needs of the district.
As our community looks to build economically, our schools are a vital part of the economic plan. If we are going to invite businesses and their families into our community, we have to be able to show them buildings that reflect a sense of pride. We have only one chance to make a good first impression.
We are asking for $4.1 million dollars to be collected over 5 years. This will bring in about $860,000/year, which will go directly into the buildings and grounds. The funds raised will only go to buildings and grounds projects. This will not go into any salaries or benefits for staff at our school. Simply put, it is an investment in our facilities. Once the five-year period is up the tax will go away. The only way we could continue it is to go back to the voters and run another levy.
We do a great job of educating the children of our community. You do not have to take my word; you can look at recent results of tests and surveys taken by our students to see how well we are doing. I encourage you to walk our halls and listen to the discussions and learning experiences our children are receiving. As a new employee of the school, I am impressed with the excellence of educators in this district. To listen, and see the quality experiences students are receiving is inspiring. We do not want to have to make excuses for the buckets on the floors at the elementary or the concrete showing through the floors in the high school.
Like our mission states, we are “Planning for the future now!” Libby Schools’ website, www.libbyschools.org, has a Power Point that will take you through our proposal and costs. We would like to invite you to our open houses to tour our facilities on Wednesday, April 13. We will tour the Libby Elementary School at 5 p.m. and follow it up with a tour of the Libby Middle/High School facility at 6 p.m.
I encourage you call me or Scott Beagle, Building Levy Chairman for more information or questions regarding the levy.
Craig Barringer is superintendent of Libby Public Schools