By Robert Medley
Managing Editor
The reality of higher taxes for property owners in the Okarche Public Schools district is the reason the school board recently voted unanimously not to join a state vocational education district.
Superintendent Josh Sumrall released a letter this week explaining the board’s stance on the issue.
“The Okarche Public Schools Board of Education recently discussed the option of the Okarche School District becoming a member of a Career Technology Center. The School Board has asked me to develop an information letter explaining the tax increase and the reasoning behind their decision on the topic,” Sumrall reports.
In-order for the Okarche School District to become a member of a Technology Center, the voting residents of the Okarche School District would have to vote 51% in favor of the issue. Voting to become a member would add 15 mills to the current millage tax rate of all property taxes for Okarche School District property owners, Sumrall said.
The ad valorem tax increase is different for those who own property in Kingfisher County and those who own property in Canadian County, because of the assessment ratio in each county. The school district, with 400 students, is in both Kingfisher and Canadian counties.
The breakdown as explained by Sumrall follows: Property worth $100,000 in Kingfisher County would have an increase of $156 a year and $171 a year for property in Canadian County. Property worth $300,000 in Kingfisher County would have an increase of $498 a year and $544 a year for property in Canadian County. The total amount of taxes that the Okarche School District property owners would send to the Technology Center would be $2,099,250, yearly, based on the district’s $135 million net assessed valuation. This amount is taxed annually, no matter the number of Okarche students who attend and the membership can only be canceled by another 51% vote of the district voters. With an average of nine students per grade attending in the 11th and 12th grades, the breakdown cost per student is $233,250 per student for their two-year program, Sumrall reports.
Per current law, the Okarche Public Schools Board of Education must pass a resolution in-order to send the measure to a vote of the school district voting patrons. The Okarche Board of Education recently voted down the resolution to send the measure to a vote of the patrons, Sumrall reports. The School Board expressed concern for the amount of taxes that would be increased. Members stated that with the economy in an unstable state, passing a bond issue a few years ago and the amount of the tax increase, that they did not feel that it was the right time to pass the resolution and ask property owners to raise their taxes. The board members also said they believe the technology centers are a good option and opportunity for students, but felt that the money the technology centers would receive from our tax base was excessive for the number of students who might attend.
Becoming a member of a technology center would allow 11th and 12th grade students, along with residents up to age 24, to attend the technology center free of charge. Those over the age of 24 would be able to attend a program at a discounted tuition price. Each technology center program has a limited amount of seats and each student would need to go through an interview process based on academic and attendance status, along with an individual desire and plan to use the program certification once completed, Sumrall reports.
Okarche Schools administrators sent out a survey to junior high and high school students trying to gain an interest level of students. The survey results showed that an average of nine students per grade were interested. Please keep in mind that students cannot attend until their 11th or 12th grade years and would need to go through an interview process in-order to be accepted, Sumrall said. Currently, students that do not have residents in a member school district, such as Okarche Schools, have to pay tuition of about $30,000 for a two-year program, if accepted.
The School Board understands becoming a member of a Technology Center is a topic that has different opinions throughout the community, Sumrall reports.
“They have been contacted by residents that are against the tax increase and by residents in favor of the tax increase. The Board members wish to convey that they understand both sides and want the best for the students of the Okarche School District. However, they voted not to approve the resolution based on their feeling that it is not the right time to ask for a tax increase. Again, this information letter is an attempt to give facts about the topic and to be transparent to the parents and patrons of the Okarche School District. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact me,” Sumrall reported.
