Marshalltown Community School District officials seek to renew the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) levy this year.

On March 5, the renewal will be brought to a vote by the district residents. If the levy is approved, MCSD will use the funds to maintain district buildings, improve technology and equipment, make transportation purchases and enhance security and safety.

At the Jan. 17 regular Marshalltown Community School Board meeting, the board approved calling an election to renew the 10-year PPEL. Officials have scheduled informational community meetings regarding the levy. Educational virtual meetings are set for Feb. 7 and Feb. 8, during which PPEL will be explained — both how the money is used and what needs it could fund.

Knowing information is important, Director of Business and Operations Randy Denham said he and Superintendent Theron Schutte are speaking to various groups in Marshalltown about the issue.

“We’re answering questions folks have,” Denham said. “We’re educating the community that we’re in a position (where) we can do that without raising the overall total tax rate the district levies.”

The PPEL rate would be raised from 67 cents to $1.34 per $1,000 of taxable property. The 67 cent rate has been in place since 1997, and has been renewed by voters every 10 years. Schutte and Denham said the district is in an advantageous position to increase the rate without raising the levy, which is $15.99. The highest levy rate was $18.35 in 2021.

Denham stressed that does not mean property taxes will not increase, since valuations rise every year, but the MCSD levy will not increase. If voters do not approve the renewal, the levy, which provides $800,000 per year, will end June 30, 2025.

Schutte wants to ensure that voters understand the four areas the PPEL money can be used for:

• Buildings and grounds;

• Transportation purchases;

• Safety and security and;

• Technology

Speaking about the areas of buildings and grounds and technology, Schutte said with the district being as large as it is with the 10 school buildings and a few other facilities, it is difficult to keep up with the necessary maintenance, such as roof replacements, parking lot and sidewalk repairs and replacements.

“As far as buildings and grounds go, it will help us double down on that,” he said.

Some of the buildings and grounds improvements PPEL has already been used for include the walking paths at Rogers and Fisher elementaries and the rebuilt playground at Woodbury.

“There’s been quite a bit of work done, but those are smaller-scale projects,” Schutte said.

Denham said the buildings are also an investment in Marshalltown. Community groups — such as the Marshalltown Community Theater and various parents and youth — use the facilities for various reasons. For example, Schutte said the Republican and Democratic caucuses were both in the high school at the beginning of January.

“This is an opportunity for us to upgrade our facilities and address needs sooner rather than later without us having to increase our total levy on the district,” Denham said.

The district is on a four-year technology replacement cycle for staff and students. Schutte said the devices need to have the supporting infrastructure to work properly and they hope to replace projectors with smartboards. Denham said the district is also looking at audio and visual enhancements to improve classroom education.

There is some concern about residents who automatically reject anything involving property tax, Schutte said.

“I don’t think the district could be in any better position to advocate for this increase in property tax, knowing it will not have any kind of impact on the district’s tax asking, and that’s coupled with the fact we have dropped the tax rate in the last few years,” he said. “I think we’ve proven to the community we are trying to be the best stewards and very conscientious of the tax rate.”

Schutte said the MCSD is already behind other districts when it comes to buildings. If the levy is rejected by the voters, facilities will fall in quality. Teams of people have visited recently-built schools across the state to compare to MCSD.

“In nearly all of those cases, they are replacing buildings that are the age of our newest buildings,” he said.

According to Denham, the average age of a MCSD building is 67 years.

“This is an opportune time for us to be able to address needs,” he said. “We have needs that exceed our capacity. By increasing the levy, we can address the needs sooner without impacting the overall tax levy on the taxpayers.”

East Marshall

Marshalltown is not the only local school district asking voters to renew the PPEL levy. East Marshall will also bring the matter to voters on March 5.

Superintendent Tony Ryan said the levy was originally approved in 2015, and like the MCSD, the existing levy — $0.67 per $1,000 — will not be increased.

He said the state of Iowa has regulations limiting how a school district can spend PPEL funds. Since 2015, East Marshall has used the levy money for roof repairs, HVAC maintenance, technology purchases, school security and school bus replacement.

“As is the case for many school districts across Iowa, a voted PPEL is a critical revenue source for East Marshall, as it allows us to address facility and equipment needs that often go beyond what our operational budget can cover,” he said. “We are fortunate to have a community that has made significant investments in our schools. A voted PPEL is a cost-effective way to protect those investments and assets for future generations.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.