D-NH voters overwhelmingly approve PPEL renewal

Although turnout was relatively low, an overwhelming majority of those who went to the polls in the Dike-New Hartford school district voted to renew the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) on Tuesday.
           
The tax, which funds facilities, transportation and infrastructure upgrades, will remain at 50 cents per $1,000 of property valuation, and the board approved PPEL rate is 33 cents per $1,000 for a total of 83 cents.
           
“This was just another feather in our community’s cap for supporting it like they did,” first year superintendent Justin Stockdale said. “It just allows us to continue to put a good product out there as a district in a lot of ways.”
           
Of the 241 voters who cast a ballot, 219, or 90.87 percent of them, voted yes, and just 22 (9.13 percent) voted no. The levy, which must be reapproved every 10 years, has generally received strong support and is not considered controversial.
           
During the 2017-2018 school year, PPEL funds helped to finance a new school bus, a scag mower, visitor bleachers at the football field, exterior doors, a remodeling of the industrial technology building, a junior high football scoreboard, a remodeling of the New Hartford and high school libraries, and bathroom upgrades at New Hartford. 
 
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