Clarinda voters to decide on PPEL Sept. 8

Clarinda voters to decide on PPEL Sept. 8

 

 

Clarinda Community School District residents will vote Tuesday, Sept. 8, on a proposed voter-approved Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). The measure requires a simple majority (50 percent plus one) to pass. Polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

 

A PPEL is a restricted property tax levy that Iowa school districts can use for facilities, infrastructure, transportation, technology, and related equipment needs—often described as “brick-and-mortar” funding. Under state rules, the money cannot be mixed with general fund dollars used for salaries or day-to-day operations. Clarinda is among roughly 50 of Iowa’s approximately 325 districts that currently lack a voted PPEL. Most others already have one.

 

District officials are seeking a rate of 50 cents per $1,000 of taxable valuation. Superintendent Jeff Privia said the levy would generate about $204,000 annually. He described the request as the minimum amount needed to help the district manage upcoming costs after state changes to Secure an Advanced Vision for Education (SAVE) funding. By 2031, Clarinda expects to lose roughly $450,000 annually from its SAVE allocation as the state shifts a larger share (up to 25 percent) of those sales-tax dollars toward property-tax relief.

 

Privia noted that rising costs for buses and technology, combined with ongoing middle-school bond payments, leave limited flexibility. A bus that cost $120,000–$130,000 a few years ago now runs about $180,000. “I’m trying to be very proactive in this situation and say, ‘Hey, here’s the minimum amount I can probably go,’ and build up enough in that fund to get us through 2041, when we’re done with the bond for the new middle school,” he said during a recent interview on KCSI.

 

If approved, the levy would last 10 years and then require another voter decision to continue. The maximum legal rate is $1.34; any future increase beyond the initial 50 cents would also need voter approval.

 

McQueen emphasized the link between school facilities and economic development. “Daycare and school” are among the first questions she hears from families or businesses considering a move. “If we don’t have the community support for our school system, and that’s evident when someone is visiting to see if they want to move here, that person’s probably not going to come,” she said. “We have to take care of the buildings, we have to take care of the HVAC, the electrical, all of those types of things so…

we can continue to have our students and our faculty safe, secure, comfortable in a learning environment.”

 

For more information, residents can contact Clarinda Community School District administration or review materials available through the district.