Dear B-C-S Stakeholders:

We are proud to work with all of you in making Benton-Carroll-Salem Board of Education a strong institution for our current and future students and a strong asset for this community. Recently, we have faced challenging decisions regarding our financial future due to devastating cuts in operating revenue beyond our control.

The de-valuation of Davis-Besse Nuclear Power Station and the phase out of a key payment (PUTPP) from the state. Together these cuts result in an annual loss of $6 million, or 30% of our overall operating budget! The magnitude of this revenue loss is unprecedented for a school district in the history of this state.

Since May 2018, we have been on the ballot three times to help fill a little more than half of these losses. A property tax passed, which we are thankful for, but the income tax was rejected three times. The property tax that passed brings in approximately $1.4 million per year and the income tax would have brought in approximately $1.9 million per year.

If both passed, these would have brought in $3.3 million out of the $6 million loss, just a little more than half the loss.  The rest of the losses will be made up by staying fiscally conservative and making internal reductions.

The B-C-S Board chose to go on the Aug. 6 ballot with a property tax based on our urgent need to replace the lost operating revenue described above. The Board chose to do a property tax because the 1% income tax was defeated three times, and because the Board was prohibited by state law from putting the income tax on the ballot again until November.

See www.bcssd.com for more information on the Aug. 6 levy. A summary of the various cuts and increased fees will be shared as soon as possible.

Members of the Benton-Carroll-Salem
Board of Education
Superintendent Guy Parmigian
Treasurer Cajon Keeton