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Pioneer d
By Gordon Weeks
gordon@masoncounty. com
The Pioneer School District is asking
district residents on the Feb. 14 general
election ballot to approve a replacement
levy that will cover educational pro-
grams and operations.
If passed by a simple majority, prop-
erty owners would be assessed an esti-
mated $1.28 for every $1,000 of assessed
property value from 2024 through 2027.
The owner of a. home valued at $300,000
would pay about $384 per year, or about
$32 per month, the district states.
If passed, the levy would collect
$2,802,110 in 2024, $2,886,173 in 2025,
$2,972,758 in 2026, an‘d $3,061,940 in
2027 . '
The district stresses the measure is
not a new tax, but the proposed continu-
ation of an EP&O levy passed by voters
that expires at the end of 2023. The dis-
trict states ‘that levy dollars cover 21%
of the overall cost of school district oper-
ations. State and federal programs fund
almost'all of the rest. 7
“All the schools in the state rely on
levies to backfill what the state doesn’t
fund,” said Superintendent Jeff Davis.
In the Pioneer School District, which
has about 750 students in prekindergar-
ten through the eighth grade, the levy
partially or entirely pays for lower class
sizes, afterschool academic tutoring for
students, athletic programs, transporta-
tion costs not covered by the state, mu-
sic and art education, STEM (Science,
Technology, Engineering and Math)
programs, classroom paraeducator sup-
port, reading and math specialists, stu-
dent field trips, outdoor school, the com-
munity garden, counselors, and updated
curriculum in reading, math, science
pr,
istrict seeks replac
Thursday, Jan. 19, 2023 - Shelton-Mason County Journal Page
ement levy
ASB adviser Megan Thurston, an eighth-grade English language arts teacher,
addresses more than 100'Pioneer
Middle School students who enjoyed an activities night after school Friday.
The district has a replacement levy
on the Feb. 14 ballot. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
and social science.
The levy also pays for support staff
not covered by the state, including para-
educators, food service, custodial, build—
ing secretaries, and business and per-,
sonnel operations.
“The state doesn’t fully fund special ’
education,” Davis said.
The district’s budget for this school
year is $14,049,646. The levy pays
1 (560.898.2481 www.hcc.net
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$2,717,133 of that, with the rest coming
from the state ($8,718,688), the federal
government ($2,510,765) and other rev-
enue sources ($103,060).
The district has 60 certified staff
members, and 58 classified employees.
Sixty-seven percent of the students
qualify for free or reduced—price lunches.
Pioneer residents are supportive of
the schools, Davis said.
LEGENDS
CHEESESTEAKS
‘,‘I think this is a really good place
for kids, and we want to continue with
improvements to everything we do,” he
said.
Seniors and residents with disabili-
ties can qualify for tax exemptions from
all or part of levy property taxes. For
more information, call the Mason Coun—
ty Auditor’s Office at 3604279670, ex
tension 491- '
a,
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