D-NH superintendent explains upcoming PPEL vote

If there’s one thing that Dike-New Hartford Superintendent Justin Stockdale wants prospective voters in the district to know before they head to the polls on Tuesday, September 11, it’s that the renewal of the Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) is not a tax increase.
           
“We’re not asking for anything more than what we’ve had the last 10 years. It’s still the same 50 cents,” he said. “It’s simply a renewal of what we’ve had for a long time.”
           
Currently, D-NH has a 33-cent board approved levy per $1,000 of property valuation and a 50-cent voter approved levy. If a simple majority agrees to renew the levy next Tuesday, the 50-cent rate will remain intact.
           
PPEL dollars are primarily used to fund facilities upgrades and infrastructure improvements within the district: major expenses like school buses, a new track surface, locker room renovations, baseball and softball scoreboards, playground remodeling and parking lot paving—to name a few—have all been paid for with PPEL over the last 10 years. For the 2018-2019 school year, the total revenue generated is estimated at $140,000, and by state law, districts are allowed to levy up to $1.34 per $1,000 of valuation with voter approval.
           
Without this levy, the funding for all of the aforementioned projects and many more would come straight from the general fund, which, amidst low levels of new Supplemental State Aid (SSA) money from the legislature, is always being tightly monitored to ensure long-term fiscal solvency.
           
“It impacts your staffing levels, (and) it impacts things that your general fund can pay for,” Stockdale said. “(PPEL) is just another funding stream, and it’s really beneficial for us—especially when you think of facilities, transportation needs, building upkeep, maintenance and things like that. It’s really valuable to have.” 
 
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