School tax referendums were approved in the Smyrna and Indian River School Districts earlier this month.
And now, residents in the Seaford School District are next to consider a school tax hike.
Next week’s vote in the Seaford School District marks the district’s first request to raise taxes in six years.
And district superintendent Corey Miklus says the March 4, 2020 referendum is a two-part ask.
“The District is seeking authorization to issue bonds in the amount of $491,000 for capital improvements," said Miklus. "And the second question is the authority to levy additional tax to fund current operating expenses.”
District officials point out that Seaford has not passed an operating referendum in 14 years.
Miklis says this request seeks to levy 72-cents per $100 dollars of assessed property value to boost funding for operating expenses.
“This money will go for safety and security. It will go for textbooks, instructional supplies and materials. It will help us upgrade and maintain a lot of our technology, both for staff and for students," said Miklus. "It also will help with recruiting and the retention of highly qualified staff and also for necessary operating expenses.”
The capital piece of the referendum is focused solely on funding a partial roof replacement at Central Elementary School.
If both pieces are approved, the district’s director of administrative services Eulinda Gallagher explains the impact on taxpayers.
“For the capital improvement question there will be no raise for their taxes because we have a bond maturing - so they kind of cancel each other out," said Gallagher. "For the operating expense, for someone that has an average residential assessment property, they’re looking at about $8 a month or $96 a year.”
Residents can vote next Wednesday, March 4 at Seaford High School between 7 a.m. and 8 p.m.
