The reason for Proposition K is simple, Fulton Public Schools Superintendent Jacque Cowherd said.
If FPS doesn't increase its funding, something will have to give.
"We may have to cut down on personnel, which means larger class sizes," he said Monday. "We'll have to cut back on field trips and classroom supplies."
Proposition K will appear on the Aug. 7 ballot. It asks taxpayers within the FPS district to approve an increase of the operating tax levy ceiling by $.5698 to $3.8948 per $100 in assessed property valuation. The debt service levy would remain steady at $0.7612 per $100.
District officials also plan an information meeting at 6:30 p.m. July 26 at the Fulton High School Commons.
If Proposition K passes, a taxpayer with a home assessed at $100,000 would pay about $108 more in taxes, Cowherd said.
Just over half that money will go toward mental health and other student services, while the rest will supplement teacher and staff salaries.
It's the first time in 15 years FPS has requested a levy increase.
"This district has not come back to taxpayers often," he said. "We've been able to pass balanced budgets."
Budgetary needs
Factors contributing to the need for more money include a decrease in state funding and an increase in low-income students and students with special needs. FPS had 209 special-needs students in 2006 and 248 in 2017, according to data from the district.
"They're typically higher-cost than the average student," Cowherd said.
The number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches also grew from 923 to 1,123 over the same timespan.
To support the special-needs students, FPS has hired additional paraprofessionals. The district had only 17 in 2006, but as of 2017 had 49, and that number is expected to grow. Also, many students, especially those from challenging home environments, face issues related to mental health.
Data showed Callaway County's youth have a higher rate of emergency room visits related to mental health than in most neighboring counties. A federal mental health grant, which brought in a school psychologist and professional counselors, revealed the problem is present at FPS as well: In 2015, nearly one-in-five students were found to be socially, academically and/or emotionally at-risk.
"(Students) are getting abused; they're getting hurt, and they're coming back to school," Cowherd said.
The district offers help for at-risk students through suicide awareness, anti-bullying training, counseling, support for academic stragglers and crisis response training, among other avenues.
Cowherd wants to be able to maintain the support FPS offers for at-risk students, but funding from the federal grant runs out in November.
Additionally, the district suffers from a high turnover rate among faculty and staff, which Cowherd thinks might be caused in part by the higher base salaries offered at nearby districts like Jefferson City, Columbia, Kirksville and Mexico.
"The faculty tells us that salary makes a difference," he said. "No matter how long they've been there, they can go to Columbia and get a raise."
The levy increase would allow FPS to raise teachers' base salary from $33,165 to $34,415, putting it ahead of Hannibal.
Cowherd isn't permitted to tell people how to vote, but as the Proposition K spokesperson, Fulton resident Rick Gohring can.
A former banker with The Callaway Bank, Gohring went through the FPS system, along with three brothers, two sons and six nephews.
"I'm vested in our local education system," Gohring said Monday.
He said the district has shown fiscal responsibility and is a boon to the city's economic development. Companies looking to expand into an area often examine the quality of the local school system, Gohring explained. He also pointed to the percentage of students going into four-year colleges following graduation: 47 percent in 2017, versus 38 percent statewide.
"If you look at the quality of student produced here and the number going to higher education, that's testament to the district's quality," he said. "I'm encouraging our voters in the Fulton district to approve Proposition K on Aug. 7."