Lingering asbestos hazards, deferred maintenance and safety upgrades are among the priorities that led board members in the Somers-Lakeside School District to seek levy approval for its elementary and middle schools.

The school district is proposing a general fund mill levy worth $185,000 annually, or 7.29 mills. If the levy is approved, property taxes would increase by $19.09 for homes valued at $200,000.

According to administrators, the funding measure would address a laundry list of safety and emergency upgrades, long-standing maintenance projects and potential staffing needs.

Hoping to provide a transparent explanation of the district’s needs, Superintendent Paul Jenkins has included a list of specific projects and estimated costs on the district’s website, http://www.somersdist29.org. A tax calculator is also available to show potential impacts on property taxes.

“These are high needs, especially the asbestos. I’d say they’re substantial,” Jenkins said.

Polls will be open May 5 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at Somers Middle School and Lakeside Elementary School. Absentee ballots were mailed last week and must be returned by May 5.

There were 542 students enrolled in the two schools last fall.

The district sought approval for a $200,000 general levy in 2013 but it failed by a vote of 440-367. The last successful levy in the district was in 2006.

The requested funds would benefit both Lakeside Elementary and Somers Middle School, although the highest priorities lie in Somers, where a site that was built in the early 1950s and last upgraded in the 1990s has fallen further into disrepair, according to administrators.

Roughly $7,400 is needed to remove asbestos that has been found underneath tiles throughout the cafeteria and other sections of the original building. Roughly $10,000 would be needed to replace the tiles in the cafeteria once the asbestos was removed. Another $24,300 is needed for renovating one of the main restrooms that is largely outdated and not handicap accessible. All together, roughly $48,600 has been targeted in maintenance costs for Somers.

Roughly $36,000 has been estimated for maintenance at Lakeside, where gutters and carpet issues have emerged in the 17-year-old building.

There are also security and safety needs for both sites, Jenkins said, including entrance devices and an alert system.

The district has lost roughly $20,000 in federal funds that were cut, leaving the district to seek ways to make up for the absent support while enrollment remains steady.

Jenkins said the levy funds would be used to address these issues and others upgrades that are identified.

Although the last levy request failed, Jenkins said he is hopeful that the community will understand the necessity of this latest funding measure.

“This is an investment in our community,” he said. “If the word gets out that the people of Somers and Lakeside aren’t supportive of their schools, then people will choose not to move here, and that affects businesses. There’s a ripple effect.”

For more information about the proposed levy, visit http://www.somersdist29.org/

Whitefish Elementary District Seeks Additional Levy

The Whitefish Elementary School District is seeking a general fund levy worth $36,000.

Administrators are seeking an increase in funding to address increased enrollment. If the levy is approved, property taxes will increase $1.86 for homes valued at $200,000.

Voters will decide whether to approve the request on May 5. A polling station will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. in the boardroom of the district office at 600 E. Second St.

Absentee ballots were mailed out last week, and administrators are reminding voters to not confuse the district’s ballot with the city’s ballot seeking approval for a resort tax increase. The ballots must be returned in their proper envelopes.