The Kearney School District is asking residents for support of school safety and staff through Prop S, a proposed 45-cent per $100 valuation property tax increase. The district anticipates that increase would give it a $2.2 million raise in revenue to support the initiative.

When the school district completed its strategic plan, staff found that the highest priorities of the people surveyed were increased safety and security measures and to increase salary and benefits to district employees.

“In the fall of 2022, Kearney School District engaged in a strategic planning process with the support and input of staff members, students, parents/guardians and community members,” states the district website. “The highest priorities that were identified by our constituents during that process were to increase safety and security and to prioritize all employees by increasing compensation and benefits.”

Like most businesses the school district will need to increase revenues to accommodate the increased security and employee compensation. Unlike private businesses, it can’t just raise rates to accomplish the goal. The school district must ask the people for the raise.

If the people pass Prop S, the Kearney School District would use part of the levy funds to “add additional safety and security team members.” The website information does not say whether this means security guards or actual student resource police officers. The district only has one resource officer now to cover nine school campuses.

The school district estimates that the cost to hire three security people would be approximately $220,000 annually.

The other part of the Prop S levy funding would go to boost staff pay and benefits. Strategic planners want to “increase pay and benefits to rank no lower than 5 out of 12 peer districts by 2025.” The district believes this goal will cost approximately $2 million.

To help fund these goals in the new strategic plan, the Kearney School District is asking voters to approve a 45-cent levy increase in the August election. Property owners of a residential property with an assessed value of $250,000 in the school district would pay about $214 more in taxes per year.

The last day to register to vote in this election is July 12. The election day for Prop S is August 8.

KPGZ News - Brian Watts contributed to this story