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Supervisors approve for advertisement of a .34% tax levy decrease
Simpson County board of Supervisors approved to advertise for a .34% millage tax decrease for the 2023-2034 tax year.
Even with a school board request for increase and increases in other department heads the Supervisors were able to approve a .34% millage tax levy decrease.
Members of the Simpson County School Board met before the Supervisors during their last meeting. SCSD Board member Stan Bulger addressed the board. Bulger explained the school district was still suffering from seat time missed during covid and challenges developed with students needing remediation. Bulger explained funds have been given for professional help with teachers but was on a limited time basics. Now the district is faced with making decisions to keep these positions or make changes. Bulger explained 25% of the students attending school suffered from some type of disability. “These services are not available through the private sector, explained Mr Bulger and it is not fair for the county to fail these students.” The students needs must be addressed. 80-90% of the students attending public school were on free or reduce lunches. According to Bulger. “these parents are not able to afford private tuition and have no choice but to choose public education. Again, these students can not go unnoticed.”
ESSER funds were made available during covid allowing the building of new classrooms and cafeteria at Simpson Central. A new classroom building at Mendenhall Elementary and improvements and enlarging of a cafeteria at Mendenhall High School at no cost to the taxpayer of Simpson County were also funded with ESSER funds.
The school district, until last year, had not asked for a tax increase for years. But, like everything around us, the cost of survival is much higher requiring the district need for larger funds. Office supplies, cleaning supplies, utilities, gas, food have all increase and the district must increase as well.
A copy of the letter Mr. Bulger read is attached.
Stan Bulger, Simpson County School Board Member
- Note: I am speaking as an individual member for the Simpson County School Board, not for the Board.
- I recognize that your Board’s role in our budget review process is to provide the funding as required by law, not determine whether the request is appropriate unless any increase exceeds state limitations. Our request for funding this up-coming year does include an increase in our budget
- I believe you as well as all citizens have a right to understand those things that are driving this increase. Obviously, some of the same issues you face as the Board, i.e., inflationary pressures on fuel, utilities, labor, and materials, are likewise faced by our School District. At the same time, we recognize that our citizens are trying to deal with similar inflationary increases in their personal lives. Our Board is committed to do its part in reducing costs wherever possible and have undertaken a thorough review of our District’s costs. We would not be fiscally responsible if we failed to properly fund the overall needs of the district as we look forward to this year and next.
- Exactly what are the areas driving our cost beyond those inflationary driven?
- COVID transition costs. We were provided approximately $12M+ in ESSRA funds, most was utilized to fund facility improvements aligned with our overall facility improvement plan. In addition, we utilized a large amount of money ($1M+) to provide computers to all students and maintain them. This cost is continuing since this investment in our students has been beneficial in their learning. We were also provided with additional staff/teacher funding to address student learning shortfalls and psychological challenges. These costs are continuously being reviewed by our Administration to determine student learning value.
- Facilities improvement plan. Our Board recognized over four (4) years ago that money was being spent on facilities without a written plan or proper evaluation as to long-term need/costs. We engaged an architectural & engineering firm (Baily Group) to evaluate all our facilities in terms of health, safety, maintenance costs, functionality, and fit with operational strategy. What we discovered was that most had challenges, when it came to safety; however, other than Magee Elementary, we needed to address problems arising from years of deferred maintenance at all campuses. Simpson Central required some significant improvements to their infrastructure (construction is currently being finalized) using ESSRA funds. Perhaps the campus with the greatest facility improvement need was Mendenhall Jr. High, most of which should be demolished due to costs to repair/maintain as well as unhealthy conditions (next to Mendenhall sewage lagoon and it floods). To address Mendenhall Jr. High challenges and our long-term school operating plan it became apparent that when we looked at our decreasing student enrollment (somewhat following County population trends) and need to move to an educational system focused on student career paths, high school consolidation became a clear path to follow, both in terms of long-term cost benefit and effectiveness of providing a healthier, safer, and better learning environment for all students.
- In terms of information that may be helpful in your understanding I would offer the following:
- Our millage rate had been constant at 45.27 from 2018 until the current year which is 47.45.
- We spent $1,370,416.53 on administrative salaries in our District last year, which is $433, 526.82 below the allowed limit. In terms of 126 school district spending on administrative salaries, we are number 53. This information is available on the MS Department of Education website.
- We are spending approximately $250K annually on intermedial student training.
- Some 80-90% of our public-school students are eligible for free lunches based upon their family’s income.
- We have 25% of our students who have some form of disability.
- Our rate of mental health support for students significantly increased during and following COVID, also increasing our operating costs.
- We were underfunded by MAEP (Mississippi Adequate Education Program) in the amount of $2M last year or for a total of $9,700M over the prior five (5) years.
- In 2014, our student/teacher ratio was 18.9. Currently it is 18.8.
- Decrease in funding from HUB. As each of you are aware, we have not been receiving significant funding from HUB for the past couple of years and have been informed to expect significantly less in the future.
- To attract/retain quality business investments into our County we MUST be able to provide a public education program that properly trains our kids and provides a safe/healthy learning environment. These types of businesses (manufacturing/distribution) provide us with a larger tax base that will significantly aid in reducing and/or maintaining our tax rates on the public.
- In summary, our budget funding request is necessary and in-line with Mississippi Statues. It’s my understanding that you had an attorney make a presentation to you last week that indicated you should not approve our budget request. He indicated that there had been a recent case in Marion County where the Supervisors had failed to approve their school district’s budget. The School Board prevailed in their litigation (all these legal costs being at taxpayer funded expense) with the Board of Supervisors. I have with me someone who can better address this matter, Mr. Austin Stewart, an attorney, who works with Adams & Reece, a law firm that represents our Board. Mr. Stewart recently represented the Marion County School Board in their successful legal claim against the Board of Supervisors determining that they had a duty to fund the School Board’s budget request.
Attorney Austin Stewart with Adams and Reece Attorney firm is the attorney that represented the Marion County School District in the lawsuit Marion County Supervisors and Marion School Board entered into. Mr. Adams advised both parties came to an agreement because the law reads the Supervisors SHALL accept an increase. The Supervisors did not want to send the case to court where they knew they would not win causing the citizens costly expense. The two groups agreed to move on and approve the request from the Marion County school board.
Concern citizen Thomas Ray Floyd addressed the board. Floyd advised the public school district for Simpson County has seen a reduction in students since 2016. The district saw a reduction in enrollment of 26%. Floyd advised a new Christian school was being added to the county. Floyd asked the board to please say NO to a tax millage levy increase. Floyd reminded the board what his attorney George Whitten stated that the Supervisors may request and nowhere stated required. Floyd even went further to ask School Board President Danny Cowart and Stan Bulger to refund the county the monies spend to purchase unnecessary land.
A copy of Mr. Floyd’s Statement is attached below.
“Gentlemen of the Simpson County Board of Supervisors and Fellow Citizens:
Since 2016 the public school enrollment in Simpson County public schools has declined from 3,721 students to 2,883- a decrease of 22.7%. This is a trend, not only in Simpson County, but all over Mississippi and the whole nation, and in other countries. I saw on Facebook recently that another Christian School is being organised in our County in addition to the several that we already have. For those of us who believe in less government and more individual responsibility, and who are working for a better world with God’s help, it is encouraging to see more and more parents taking more responsibility for the education of their own children.
However, the educational industrial complex does not like these trends for they see it as a threat to their power.
While public school enrollment in Simpson County has steadily declined, the school board’s budget has steadily increased. This is not acceptable. The school board, as elected servants of the people of our county should be passing on these savings to the people of our county. Instead they keep asking for more.
I encourage you board members, and especially you Brian Kennedy (since you are my representative on this board) to say “NO” to the school board’s request for a 4% increase in their budget. Danny Cowart said in a school board meeting last March 9 that the district has plenty of money. The people of Simpson County do not have plenty of money.
Last Monday, Mr George Whitten, scholarly attorney, from Greenwood, whom the Lord has used to check the school board’s scheme to put us in debt for $27.6 million, addressed you and thoroughly explained statute 37-57-104. I am sure you all have read his written presentation. You know the statute only says the school board may request an increase in revenue. It nowhere says the board of supervisors is required to grant their request. The statute provides no penalties for any supervisor, or supervisors who vote “NO.” The Mississippi Constitution makes you the sole levying authority for the County and that same Constitution plainly says no judge in this State, including the state supreme court can force you to raise taxes. I urge you to call the school board’s bluff.
I have a simple suggestion to recover half a million dollars of the board’s shortfall. I call upon Danny Cowart and Stan Bulger to pay the County back for the 103 acres of land they bought with our own money for a school we don’t want. I think I speak for the vast majority of Simpson Countians when I say we will gladly sell our 103 acres to Danny and Stan for $500,000.”
Supervisor Board President Donny Welch asked Mr. Bulger “What budget cuts has the district made and is there a cost retention plan?” Bulger advised cuts have been made. With lessor students, teaching slots have been removed. An Assistant Principal position at Mendenhall Junior High has been eliminated and several positions hired during COVID have been eliminated.
Welch then asked what is being done concerning school safety. Bulger advised the employment of safety resources officers was costly but was being examined. Fencing at Simpson Central has been added. A safety resource office is in place at Simpson Central. Sheriff Mullins advised the only reason a safety resource officer is present is because he allows the officer. Magee Elementary does not have safety concerns due to the new equipment with the new building.
School Board Member Lillie Hardy addressed the board and reminded them it is about all of Simpson County benefiting when the Simpson County School District benefits. Hardy stated, “It is the school boards responsibility to give the students the best possible education for our community.”
The Supervisors heard from all parties and were able to approve the school district request and other department increase within the county and advertise for a .34% decrease in tax levy.
A video is attached for viewing.
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