Bulldog Nation!
Hello, this is Steve Combs, Superintendent of Harrisburg Schools.
Today, I will briefly discuss an initiative the school district is proposing on the August 5th ballot.
The Bulldog family has worked very hard to provide excellent opportunities for the students of Harrisburg. We continue to celebrate some great highlights and strive to deliver a top-notch education. We are producing outstanding individuals who are entering colleges, technical schools, the military, or the workforce. Students are prepared, excited, and ready to become the next generation of leaders. We are never short on Bulldog Pride. It is all around us.
As we continually strive to improve, we also celebrate numerous accomplishments, including several that I will highlight below.
We continuously attract and retain great educators and staff. In an era where many schools struggle to fill positions, we consistently draw from a strong candidate pool, attracting both experienced teachers from other districts and a mix of bright, enthusiastic young educators. Our classified staff continues to support our school with pride and excellence.
The Harrisburg School District is providing a safe environment on campus and during student transportation. We have implemented security upgrades, provided training, and updated our fleet of buses. Our facility upgrades have been strategically planned and continue to be reviewed as we move forward.
We are a leader in technology, with a 1-to-1 device ratio for grades 2-12. Our classrooms are equipped with the latest devices to help our students stay current in an ever-changing world.
We are setting our students up for success by providing them with opportunities to explore various career paths and discover what the world has to offer on their journey to success.
Bulldog Nation is coming off a banner year outside the classroom. We are experiencing success on the fields, in the gyms, on the courses, and on the track. We continue to instill Bulldog Pride throughout our community. Our extracurricular activities have had a tremendous year, with our band being second to none, competitive quiz bowl teams, and a highly successful speech and drama program.
We continue to monitor our budget and stretch our dollars. Our Bulldog Booster Club, Bulldog Foundation, and Annual Bulldog Golf Tournament have consistently funded extras for students, allowing our district dollars to be allocated to the essentials.
While we celebrate the success of our students and the accomplishments of our District, we also look to the future and recognize the cost to operate the District continues to rise. Our District is financially sound, but we are at a crossroads. Unfortunately, we cannot rely on federal and state funding to cover increased costs. Missouri ranks 47th in the nation in funding for its public schools. Our local tax revenue is a significant portion of our income and the only option we have for increasing our revenue. We are asking the patrons of the Harrisburg School District to increase the operating tax levy, which will enable our District to continue to provide resources to our students, the leaders of tomorrow.
The August 5th initiative has two parts. The first part, referred to as “Proposition C Rollback Waiver,” does not result in a tax increase. By statute, we could be required to roll back or limit the state sales tax revenue. Passing this initiative will ensure that the District continues to receive the full amount of state sales tax revenue.
The second part we are proposing is a 50-cent increase to the operating tax levy. I will provide a formula that gives you a step-by-step guide on how to calculate your tax increase. Typically, it will be approximately a 7% increase on your property tax bill.
I understand that we are asking for an investment. We always strive to be good stewards with District money, but if we want to continue in the direction we are going, we need your support on August 5th.
Please get out and vote on August 5th to help guide the future of the Harrisburg School District.
The formula to calculate your estimated monthly tax increase is shown below:
Go to “showmeboone.com/assessor,” the county website.
Real Property-Search
Owners' Last Name - fill in the blank.
Current Appraised number (which is significantly lower than if you had your house appraised by a private company).
Current assessed number – this is the figure used for the calculation increase.
Example: A $200,000 appraised property is assessed at $38,000.
Formula $200,000 x.19 (assessment rate) = $38,000.
$38,000 x .50 (tax increase) = $19,000
$19,000 divided by 100 = $190
$190 divided by 12 months = paying an extra $15.83 a month
Thank you and GO BULLDOGS!