Oregon public schools are increasingly turning to voters to help fund essential education services. The small rural district Crow- Applegate-Lorane has a 5-year levy renewal on the November 4th ballot.
Crow-Applegate-Lorane serves about 275 K12 students in communities south west of Eugene. The district is asking voters to renew a property tax levy that adds $1.50 to every $1000 assessed value. Aaron Brown is Superintendent of the District. He says the levy allows the schools to continue to offer their current level of education.
Since Measure 5 and 50 passed in Oregon in the 1990s, schools have received less funding from property taxes.
Brown: "In my time of being in education, it seems like property tax has gone out with Measure 5, it seems like it's been a very, very difficult time and it's been a lot of cuts over the years, and we're pretty much down to the bare bones."
Brown says many smaller districts have deferred building maintenance projects because of budget cuts. The levy has helped to keep Crow-Applegate-Lorane's class sizes small, with a 20 to 1 ratio in middle and high school.
Copyright 2014 KLCC
