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District outlines informational campaign for revenue purpose statement vote on statewide penny; staff says vote won’t raise taxes
Summary
School leaders told the board they will run an informational (not advocacy) campaign explaining how voters’ approval would allow continued district use of statewide SAVE funds and the physical plant and equipment levy; staff said a yes vote affirms uses, a no vote would not lower taxes but could limit how funds are used and may force future bonds.
Superintendent Dr. Murillo introduced Ms. Ostrovsky, who presented plans for the district’s informational campaign about an upcoming revenue purpose statement voters’ decision. The board previously approved putting the revenue purpose statement on the ballot; staff said the presentation describes required materials and outreach that the district will provide.
Nut graf: The revenue purpose statement asks voters to affirm how the district will use statewide SAVE sales-tax dollars and the physical plant and equipment levy (PEPL). Ms. Ostrovsky told the board the district will provide neutral information about what a yes or no vote would mean, that a yes vote “affirms that the district can continue to use the SAVE and PEPL dollars” and that a no vote “does not lower taxes or eliminate the sales tax” but could limit the district’s flexibility to fund facility maintenance and improvements.
Ms. Ostrovsky reviewed past uses of the funds and the district’s five-year facilities master plan: auditorium renovation at Thomas Jefferson, lab classroom and outdoor classroom projects at Abraham Lincoln, rotating carpet and furnishings, security upgrades including cameras and secured entrances, and cyclical maintenance of roofing, concrete, mechanical and electrical systems. She said the district receives roughly $14–$15 million per year from the statewide penny (SAVE) for allowable uses and about $1.5 million per year from PEPL; those figures were presented to explain the scale of funding for facilities projects.
Ms. Ostrovsky described informational outreach the district will conduct without express advocacy: an article in the district’s Achieve magazine, a dedicated webpage with absentee ballot and voter-registration links, communications to staff and parents, social media and media outreach. She said the district will not engage in express advocacy for or against the measure but will explain how the funds have been used and what a yes or no vote would mean.
Board members asked clarifying questions. One board member summarized that the district will continue to receive state pennies regardless of the vote, and Ms. Ostrovsky and Dr. Murillo clarified that the difference is whether voters affirm the specific allowable uses in the district’s revenue purpose statement. Staff noted that if an outstanding bond requires payment, SAVE dollars would first be used to pay bond debt if the revenue purpose statement is not approved; the district said it expects to be debt-free in about two and a half years because it is down to two bonds.
Ms. Ostrovsky said the district sought to include all allowable uses in the revenue purpose statement to preserve flexibility. She said the informational campaign’s objective is clarity so voters understand the measure and turnout options, including absentee voting.
Ending: The board received the informational plan; no formal advocacy was proposed and no vote was required. Staff said the district will proceed with the neutral informational activities described and will return with updates if needed.
