Central Lee Superintendent outlines expansion

Dear Editor,
I am writing to share an important update regarding potential facility improvements at Central Lee's PK-8 building.
Over the past nine months, the Central Lee Board of Education and I have been working on plans for a possible expansion to address continued growth in student enrollment. Over the past five years, our district has experienced steady increases in both resident and open enrollment. While we have taken steps to manage this growth—such as implementing an open enrollment policy and denying numerous applications—enrollment continues to rise, particularly in our lower grade levels. This proposed expansion is designed to ensure we have sufficient classroom space to meet both current and future needs.
The proposed plan includes:
• Four new classrooms on the northeast corner of the middle school
• Additional restroom facilities for students and staff
• A new student entrance/exit near the bus lot to reduce congestion in the main hallway during arrival and dismissal
• An interior courtyard, similar to the high school design, that reduces the need for two-hour fire-rated wall construction. This approach helps lower overall project costs while maintaining safety and functionality

This project will not be funded through property taxes and will not impact property tax rates. Like the recent science classroom renovation and new district office building, it will be financed through sales tax revenue. The only property tax available for infrastructure projects is the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL), and Central Lee has not used property tax revenue from PPEL since 2019, saving our taxpayers money. 
Sales tax dollars, which are distributed equally to districts across Iowa based on resident student count, can be used for infrastructure, technology, and transportation. Many districts, including ours, have chosen to bond against future sales tax revenue to avoid raising property taxes.
We plan to take an aggressive approach by pursuing a four-year bond term, rather than the more typical 15-20 year term. This strategy will significantly reduce interest costs and preserve future funding for other priorities.
We recognize that school finance can be complex. It’s a common misconception that all school spending comes from property taxes. In reality, property taxes account for only about one-third of our general fund revenue and roughly one-quarter of our total revenue across all funds. 
In the coming months, you may hear more about our plans to bond against sales tax revenue. Please know that the Board is not obligated to move forward with the PK-8 expansion until it formally accepts construction bids, which is not expected until later this fall.
As always, we remain committed to being fiscally responsible while planning for the future of Central Lee students. Thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Crozier
Superintendent