Lee's Summit Votes on School Tax Hike for Raises

0:00It's April 1st. This is Kansas News today. Local news powered by AI. Voters and leaves Summit face a big choice on April 7th. They're voting on a full waiver of Proposition C for the LSR 7 school district. If it passes, property taxes go up by $24 for every $100,000 of home value. The cash will go straight to bigger raises for school staff. Proposition C dates back to 1982. It's a one-cent sales tax Missouri voters approved to help schools based on enrollment. A full waiver means the district keeps all that money without cutting its property tax levy rate. Back in 2008, locals okayed a partial version, but now they want the whole thing. School leaders push hard for it. Superintendent David Butt points out 91% of Missouri districts already have the full deal. Letting them offer better pay like four. Point 1% raises instead of just 2.3% to beat inflation. Neighbors are ahead, he says, and staff need the boost to stick around. Not everyone's on board.

1:02Some parents and taxpayers argue the district should shuffle its own budget for those raises instead of hitting wallets again. They're worn out from recent county tax hikes and worry this could lock in permanent increases. Maybe even paving the way for more levies down the line. The district's staring down a $6.5 million deficit from state and county cuts, but this vote won't touch that whole since the funds. Our earmarked for salaries either way. Come April 7th, it'll come down to balancing teacher pay against household budgets and