Opinion: Mill levy OK will fund improvements crucial to future of Bloomfield's schools

This fall, voters in our community will take a stand for our students when they vote to approve the Bloomfield Municipal School District’s Public School Capital Improvements Tax. Placed as a question on the local election ballot, a vote in favor will reauthorize the 2-Mill Levy that has been in place since 2013 and is scheduled to expire this year. 

Our community has been very supportive of our schools in the past and we are asking for your continued help.

The 2-Mill Levy is a property tax that equals $2 for every $1,000 of a property's net taxable value, which is about one-third of the total value. That means if your home is valued at $150,000, you are paying property taxes on an assessed net taxable value of about $50,000. You would pay a little more than $100 a year in estimated mill-levy taxes to support Bloomfield schools.

Mill-levy funds are a critical source of support for our schools; they protect our investment in what’s already built. 

The Bloomfield Municipal School District is committed to providing students with opportunities to learn. Part of that commitment is creating environments that are comfortable and safe. Mill-levy funding would pay for fixing a leaking roof at Naaba Ani Elementary that has forced the closure of an entire wing of that school, and repairing or replacing another failing roof at the Bloomfield High Auditorium. It would pay for heating and air conditioning repairs at Blanco Elementary, Charlie Y. Brown High and Bloomfield High.

This money is also needed to make our schools safer. Mill-levy funds would cover the cost of installing security entry points at Blanco Elementary, Naaba Ani Elementary, Charlie Y. Brown High and Bloomfield High, as well as purchasing security cameras that would be installed throughout the school district.

That's not all. Reauthorizing the 2-Mill Levy would allow us to add a soccer field to Bloomfield High, and purchase activity busses so we can safely transport students to away games and on field trips. It would also pay for upgrading computers and technology so we can offer an educational environment that makes sense for today’s world. 

Some people ask me why they should support our schools when they don't have children in school and are not staff or teachers. My answer is always the same: our entire community needs high-quality, well-maintained and safe schools. We all benefit. Our schools not only educate our future leaders, but also contribute to our economic development. The simple truth is that our community cannot grow or move forward without continuing to support great schools. 

Early voting is scheduled from Oct.19 through Nov. 2 at the Bloomfield Cultural Center. Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday.  Election Day is Tuesday, November 5, with voting at Bloomfield City Hall and Bloomfield Cultural Center from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

I ask every eligible voter to please take the time to vote. It's never been more important.  If you would like more information about the 2-Mill Levy, visit votebloomfieldschools.com or call 505-632-3316.

Thank you for supporting our schools and our future.

Dale Maes is the president of the Bloomfield School District Board.