*Yes Makes Cents for Students

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLN9yacb4dE

*Why is this needed now?

*Many schools in the county are facing serious immediate facility needs including:

*Safety and security improvements to buildings designed in a different era require expensive updating to support learning into the future.

*Energy-efficient heating and cooling systems are needed to keep our students in school.

*Other building and facilities enhancements are needed to modernize our schools to improve the educational environment for students.

*County-wide collaboration projects to better serve our entire community of student needs.

*This initiative addresses facility funding in a manner that shifts away from property taxes

*How can funds be used?

Eligible Uses

*New facilities

*Additions & renovations

*Land acquisition

*Ongoing maintenance

*Access & security

*Parking lots

*Roof repairs

*Access & security

*Energy efficiency

Ineligible Uses

*Salaries & overhead

*Textbooks

*Buses

*Detached furniture & equipment

*Operating costs

*How will funds be used in our

District?

*Improve school safety and security by upgrading and improving school entrances and overall district security

*Improving/remodeling existing buildings and classrooms

*Improving/remodeling fine arts/music & athletic facilities

*Use sales tax proceeds to reduce the reliance on property taxes to fund ongoing facility maintenance

*How do school facilities improve

the quality of education?

*The revenue provided by the sales tax will mean an improved learning environment with an emphasis on safety and security for students across the county.

*Buildings will be maintained to increase their future years of service to our community.

*This revenue will allow our schools to provide the facilities necessary to support a 21st Century education which is critical to ensuring that our students have the tools they need to compete in a changing economy.

*Retail sales that are NOT taxed

*Groceries – unprepared foods

*Prescriptions and over-the-counter medications

*Titled vehicles – cars, trucks, ATVs, boats, RVs, motor homes

*Farm equipment and parts

*Farm inputs

*Services

*“If it is not currently taxed, it will not be taxed.”

*Did you know?

*It is estimated that 30% of all sales tax revenue is generated by sales to people living outside of the county.

*Revenue generated for schools in our county is estimated to be $11.5 million.

*Revenue generated for our District would be $510 per student living in the county or $809,000.

*If we had passed the initiative in 2009, our schools would have had a combined $57.5 million in improved facilities or property tax debt relief.

*For our school this would have been $3,200,000.

*How does this effect property

taxes?

*Reduce:*Superintendents of the districts in the county have

pledged to reduce property taxes by not levying the fire prevention, safety, energy conservation levy (5 cents per 100 value).

*A District can also abate or decrease existing property taxes by using sales tax funds to pay off outstanding building bonds.

*Avoidance:*A District can avoid levying property taxes by

using sales tax funds to pay for facility projects that would have been paid for with property taxes.

*How will this benefit our local

economy?

*Jobs and economic growth

*Many projects funded by the sales tax will put local people to work and support local businesses in the county.

*Local control of funds

*Every school district will control how it uses the revenue through the elected school board members who represent each school community.

*How will this benefit our local

economy?

*Quality of life *Schools play an important role in attracting families to settle in our communities.

*Allows the county to compete with the curb appeal of Iowa Scott County Schools.

*This tax has been adopted by our surrounding counties (Mercer, Henry, Warren, Knox & Jo Daviess)

*In five years will their learning environment surpass ours?

*Will their curb appeal and increased academic and athletic facilities coax families to live and work in their communities?

*How will it appear on the

March 18th ballot?

“Shall a retailer’s occupation tax and service occupation tax (commonly referred to as a “Sales Tax”) be imposed in the Rock Island County at a rate of 1% to be used exclusively for school facility purposes?”

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