Dear Families and Staff,
On Tuesday, March 4, voters in our community will consider two ballot measures. If they are approved, the measures would support our schools and ensure students have the resources and educational environment they need for success.
Public Measure JT is the proposed renewal of the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy, more commonly known as a voted PPEL. This levy has been in place locally for more than a decade and generates critical revenue that can only be used for infrastructure and equipment repairs, purchases, and improvements.
More than 85% of Iowa school districts have a voted PPEL in place, and the levy must be approved by at least 50% of a school district’s voters every 10 years to continue. Our district’s levy is scheduled to sunset during the 2026-27 school year, but approving it earlier will allow the School Board and administration to better budget and plan for the future.
In the recent fiscal year, MVCSD received more than $460,000 from our voted PPEL to address a variety of needs. A partial project list includes building repairs and maintenance, purchasing computers and other technology, and replacing buses.
The district is asking our voters to renew the voted PPEL and maintain the same levy rate, which is $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property value (not assessed value). This means a renewed PPEL on March 4 will NOT cause property taxes to increase.
The second item district voters will see on the March 4 ballot is Public Measure JU, which is the adoption of a Revenue Purpose Statement (RPS).
An RPS guides how a school district can spend its annual distribution of statewide one-cent sales tax revenue provided by the state’s Secure an Advanced Vision for Education fund (SAVE). If approved, the RPS will simply allow MVCSD the flexibility to use SAVE funds in a manner most effective for our district.
It is important to note that an approved RPS on March 4 would NOT lead to an increase in local property or sales taxes, and it also would NOT create a new tax or extend an existing tax.
Eligible voters who reside in MVCSD will have the option of casting an absentee ballot in person beginning February 12. This can be completed at your county auditor’s office.
For residents in Harrison County, the auditor is located inside the county courthouse (111 N. 2nd St., Logan) and available weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. In Pottawattamie County, the auditor’s office is located at 227 S. 6th St., in Council Bluffs, and is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
The final day to cast an absentee ballot in person will be March 3.
To obtain a mailed absentee ballot, a request form should be submitted to your county auditor’s office by February 17. Ballots must be received by your auditor's office before the polls close on election day to be considered for counting.
For those who plan to vote on election day, the polls will be open on March 4 from 7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Harrison County residents will vote at the Rand Center (100 S. 4th St., Missouri Valley), while Pottawattamie County residents will vote at Crescent Elementary School (401 E. Welch St., Crescent).
Polling locations can also be found by searching with your home address on the Iowa Secretary of State’s website if you’re unsure.
If you have any questions about the voted PPEL and RPS, please feel free to contact me any time. As always, thank you for your support of our schools and the students we serve!
Sincerely,
Christi Gochenour
Superintendent