Cloverleaf Local Schools

As you are aware, Cloverleaf made a promise in 2013 not to request additional operating revenue until at least 2020. Our school district has upheld that promise and extended it until at least 2030. However, we still need to renew levies to maintain our operations. This May, the Cloverleaf Board of Education will place a renewal of its Permanent Improvement levy on the ballot. This levy was originally passed in 1985 and has been renewed every five years since.

Permanent Improvement levies can only be used for capital expenditures that have a life expectancy of five years or longer. School buses serve as a good example of a permanent improvement expenditure. Our fleet of 30 buses is vital for transporting Cloverleaf students more than 650,000 miles annually. A new school bus costs $130,000 and lasts 12 to 15 years. Instead of turning over our entire fleet every 12 to 15 years, we purchase two to three new buses per year and rotate our oldest buses out of service. Our Permanent Improvement levy makes this possible.

We also utilize this levy for technology. When I first started at Cloverleaf, we relied on donated computers in a few labs throughout the district. Today, we have one computer for every student. With a five-year computer lifecycle, keeping students updated with modern technology to compete in today's world represents a significant dollar amount from our P.I. revenue.

Additionally, we use Permanent Improvement funds for building maintenance and repair. Our now 13-year-old elementary school requires occasional repairs that do demand our resources. While we do not anticipate any significant expenses for our brand-new 6-12-grade building, warranties will expire over the life of this levy and Permanent Improvement funds can be utilized for some of these expenses as well.

On the ballot, the levy language will indicate that you are voting to renew 2 mills. However, it won't specify that since this levy was first passed prior to 2013, the state pays 12.5 percent of the levy on your behalf if you own and live in your residence.

Most importantly, the ballot language will not mention that the Cloverleaf Board of Education has the ability to take formal action to reduce its collection of this levy. In the past, the Cloverleaf Board of Education has taken formal action to reduce its collection of several levies for district residents. Therefore, the Board has shown it is committed to collecting no more on this levy than what is necessary. As a result, while 2 mills will be listed on the ballot, the Cloverleaf Board of Education has taken action to limit its collection to the same dollar amount it collected in 2015, which is 1.07 mills.

It's a great day to be a Colt!