Rivier School District holds elections

Published 2:58 pm Thursday, October 2, 2008

The Riverview School District will ask voters to approve

three measures — a Maintenance and Operations Levy (M&O),

Technology Levy and Performing Arts Center Levy — on Feb. 29.

The two-year, $7.4 million replacement M&O Levy would

fund educational programs and services that state funds do not cover.

These programs include additional classroom and special

program teachers, textbooks, extra-curricular programs, transportation,

building security and more.

About 20 percent of the district’s total General Fund budget

comes from the M&O Levy.

The district is also proposing a two-year, $1 million

Technology Levy to upgrade the technological tools in all the schools.

The levy would upgrade all the computer labs, provide

training for the teachers and support staff, purchase audiovisual resources

including digital cameras, scanners and LCD projectors for the

schools, and upgrade the district’s computer network and phone system.

This is the second time the district has asked voters to approve

a Technology Levy. Last year voters rejected a higher proposal, so

the district decided to pare down the request. The state does not

provide any funding for technology; therefore, school districts must rely

upon levies to pay for instructional technology.

A two-year, $210,000 Performing Arts Center Levy will also

be on the February ballot. The levy would pay for stage rigging and

drapery, a motorized projection screen, stage lighting devices, stage

dimming and control, stage lighting instruments and storage.

When Cedarcrest High was built in 1993, the center was only

partially completed. The levy would pay for equipment that was

supposed to have been installed at that time.

If all three measures are approved, a homeowner with a

house assessed at $200,000 could expect to pay approximately $2.95

($2.52 for the M&O, 36 cents for technology and 7 cents for the arts

center) per $1,000 of assessed value, or $590 in 2001.

For more information about the levy requests, call the

Riverview School District at (425) 333-4115.