DANVILLE — The Danville Local Schools five-year, three-mill permanent improvement (PI) levy will be on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.
The district will pay off the debt collected by the 2.1 mill tax levy for the elementary school by the end of this year. This would be an additional .9 mills to the new levy for five years but would have a wider array of improvements, according to a previous Knox Pages report.
The permanent improvement levy with a total three mills collected would cost the average taxpayer approximately $32 more per year per $100,000 in assessed property value.
The last time Danville Local Schools had a levy of any magnitude was when the elementary school was built, which was about 20 years ago, Danville Schools Board President Paul Stover said.
Danville currently has an income tax levy at 1% that will need to be renewed as it expires in 2024. Danville Supt. Jason Snively said those funds are necessary for daily operations.
The Knox County Auditor (Jonette Curry) has certified the dollar amount of revenue generated by such additional tax levy during the first year of collection is $274,440, based on the current tax valuation of the school district of $91,482,690.
If the levy passes, projected plans include replacement of unit vents and ACs in the 1939 built high school, auditorium improvements and high school kitchen equipment.
Roughly $3 million has already been set aside for building improvements, which is being taken out of the general fund.
A major project on the docket is to replace a portion of the elementary school’s roof, built in 1965.
Snively has called the levy a way to “preserve the past” while promoting the present and headed toward the future.
Snively held a levy community meeting in July to showcase details and answer questions poised from Danville residents.
A FAQ is being held Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. at the Danville Junior High/High School Auditorium to share answers about the permanent improvement levy, according to Danville Local School’s website.
The community’s reaction to the levy, according to Stover, has been pretty positive.
With inflation continuing to rise, we believe it’s not going to get cheaper (to make improvements,) Stover said.
“We want our students to have a safe academic environment, provide a safe high school and want to maintain our enrollment,” he said. “We want to retain good quality staffing for our teachers and staff.”
