December 14, 2017
Decision on school vote delayed
By Jerry W. Kram
The original agenda for the regular meeting of the Parshall School Board this week had a “call for a referendum” as one of its agenda items. The board amended its agenda to remove that item in light of the school’s communication committee opinion that the vote should be delayed until decisions are made about possible additional sources of funding for the construction.
Board president Michelle Hoff informed the board that uncertainty and confusion about two proposed sources of funding for the new school building were reasons that a bond referendum was narrowly rejected by voters earlier this year. The two funding sources, a federal impact aid grant and New Market Tax Credits, could provide as much as 20 percent of the projects funding.
“Calling for the referendum now would put the vote in February, which would mean the vote would come before we have that money in hand,” Hoff said. “If we wait and have the vote in April, we can say to the patrons, ‘This is what we have in hand.’”
Board president Michelle Hoff informed the board that uncertainty and confusion about two proposed sources of funding for the new school building were reasons that a bond referendum was narrowly rejected by voters earlier this year. The two funding sources, a federal impact aid grant and New Market Tax Credits, could provide as much as 20 percent of the projects funding.
“Calling for the referendum now would put the vote in February, which would mean the vote would come before we have that money in hand,” Hoff said. “If we wait and have the vote in April, we can say to the patrons, ‘This is what we have in hand.’”
