Committee at forum: Time is now for two high schools

From left, Citizens Investing in J Plus C members Ken Enloe, Tom Carr and Stephanie Johnson participate in a Tuesday forum at City Hall.
From left, Citizens Investing in J Plus C members Ken Enloe, Tom Carr and Stephanie Johnson participate in a Tuesday forum at City Hall.

An acute sense of time hung over representatives in favor of two high schools in Jefferson City on Tuesday night - a past of one defeated mega-high school plan; a present sense of time running out to make critical investments in the local public education system; and a future that's uncertain if the proposals on the April 4 ballot fail this time, too.

"Our community has already said no to one high school. If our community then says no to two high schools, I really think that we as a city and as a community need to do some deep soul-searching about our willingness to invest not only in our children but in the future health of Jefferson City," Stephanie Johnson said.

Johnson is a 1989 graduate of Jefferson City High School; a parent of a child at Simonsen 9th Grade Center and another who's a Jefferson City public school graduate; the director of the Boys & Girls Club; and co-chair of the Community Outreach Committee of "Citizens Investing in J Plus C."

Johnson was one of three committee members fielding questions by the News Tribune on Tuesday night during a two-hour public forum in the Jefferson City Council Chambers at City Hall. Managing editor Gary Castor and opinion editor Gerry Tritz moderated.

About 40 people attended to hear answers about issues on the April 4 ballot and others that will continue to present challenges for the local public school system and community to overcome.

The first hour of the forum was devoted to asking questions of the six candidates running for three available seats on the district's Board of Education.

The second hour of the forum was dedicated to asking representatives of Citizens Investing in J Plus C and district officials questions about the district's two high school plan.

On the April 4 ballot, voters in the Jefferson City Public Schools District will have the choice to decide whether to support Propositions J and C that present the district's two high school plan.

Proposition J will ask voters if they want to approve a 65-cent tax levy increase to fund a $130 million bond issue to pay for building a second high school and renovating the existing one to make it an equitable facility in terms of square footage, design and safety.

Proposition C will ask voters if they want to approve a 45-cent operating levy - 20 cents to cover needs like textbooks and mental health support within the existing school system and 25 cents to pay for the operating costs of a new high school.

If both issues are approved, a Jefferson City family that currently owns a $150,000 home would pay about $25 more a month or $300 more a year in property taxes.

Citizens Investing in J Plus C is a political action committee made up of private residents who are campaigning in support of the two high school plan. Johnson, Tom Carr and Ken Enloe represented the committee Tuesday night.

Carr has lived in Jefferson City for 28 years, has a daughter and son who both attended and graduated from Jefferson City Schools and is a retired IBM employee.

Enloe has lived in Jefferson City since he was 4 years old, graduated from Jefferson City High School in 1973, has children and now grandkids and other young relatives who attend Jefferson City public schools. He co-chairs the PAC with Johnson.

JCPS Superintendent Larry Linthacum and CFO/COO Jason Hoffman represented the district Tuesday night, after they made it back from a previously scheduled community presentation on the April ballot questions at Pioneer Trail Elementary School.

Everyone was optimistic about the prospects of success for the ballot issues in April but recognized the possibility of failure at the polls.

They've all heard public concerns including about cost of construction, equity between the schools and increased taxes. They all said though they've provided ample opportunity to have questions answered and will continue to do so until the election.

Linthacum explained if the operating levy fails, it can run on a ballot in April, August or November of any year and still only need a simple majority to pass. If the bond issue fails, putting it on the ballot in August would require a two-thirds majority to pass it then because it's an odd-numbered year.

"Realistically, we would be waiting until the spring of '18, which we're back at the four-sevenths (majority) versus the two-thirds."

In terms of attempting to changing no votes to a yes, Linthacum said "it is an investment, we feel like it's a reasonable request, investing in our community and our future."

Video: News Tribune Forum School Levy Issues 2017