BLOOMFIELD — With an eye toward the future, Bloomfield school board members approved resolutions Tuesday night calling for an election Feb. 5 for school board seats and the extension of a public school capital improvement tax.

The school district will seek the approval of $2 per $1,000 of net taxable property value to go to Bloomfield schools. The tax, also called a mill levy, covers property tax years 2013 through 2018. The median home value in Bloomfield was $133,500 in 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making the 2 mill levy about $267 per year, per household.

Gary Giron, director of finance and operations for the district, said the increase is vital to school upkeep.

"These are the funds we use to maintain the buildings," Giron said. "They are absolutely critical to the ongoing operations of the district."

In the resolution, under the question to be submitted to the voters, some of items listed for funding under the public school capital improvements tax include "... erecting, remodeling, making additions to, providing equipment for or furnishing public school buildings; purchasing or improving public school grounds; maintenance of public school buildings or public school grounds, including the purchasing or repairing of maintenance equipment, participating in the facility information management system as required by the Public School Capital Outlay Act ..."

Superintendent Joe Rasor said the district is always prudent about how the funds

Advertisement
are spent.

"We have to make sure to always get the best deal for our money," Rasor said. "We go through the bid process to purchase large quantities of things like a classroom full of chairs. Basically, we use it and depend on it."

Board Vice President Tasha Lucero asked Giron whether the property tax resolution was new or an extension of the current mill levy. Giron said it was the continuation of the existing one.

"We put it in front of them (voters) every several years to make sure they are in agreement," Giron said.

Also included in the resolution is the call for three board member positions to be filled, with terms starting March 1.

The positions for board member Districts 2, 4 and 5 are up for election.

In other action:

  • The cleanup of the maintenance "bone yard" was approved by board members. It will involve recycling as much scrap metal as possible, disposing of remaining items and, if necessary, hiring a waste disposal company to take away any hazardous materials. The "bone yard" is a collection of broken equipment, fencing, scrap metal, waste, PVC pieces, rock piles and wood piles.

  • The hiring of an educational assistant was approved for a recently diagnosed orthopedically impaired student. The assistant will accompany the student as required to maintain safety. The position is authorized through June 30, when it will come before the board to reauthorize the position.