The Canyon Weekly January 12, 2011
Volume 2, Issue 2
News and life ~for our side of the mountain!
Your Chance To Help Decide Our Future... share your opinion at this upcoming meeting!
School District To Hold Tax Levy Meeting By Michelle Gates
The Santiam Canyon School District will be holding a meeting for residents of the district to determine how voters might respond to a new property tax. The tax would benefit Gates Elementary, Mill City Middle School and Santiam High School and is proposed to help with programs like art, music, athletics, physical education or after school activities and building repairs. ―We really offer nothing in the arts right now,‖ said Ross Miller, Santiam High School English teacher. ―There’s a strong correlation between music education and success in areas like math. Right now, we have a gaping hole in our school curriculum.‖ The district has received a 90 percent positive response from staff surveys and is looking for input from local voters, according to Steve Neilsen, the
Monday, Jan. 24
6:30pm
Mill City Middle School Commons school district business manager. Neilson indicated that they have received unanimous support for music programs, but need community input on where else the money would go. ―We really want people to come and give their two cents worth,‖ said Neilsen. ―We know that there are a lot of people out there who would support it. If not, we want to know why.‖ The tax levy, proposed for the March, 2011 elections, would range from 25 cents to one dollar per $1,000 of assessed property value. Current property taxes are shared throughout the state. A tax at this level would go directly to programs that support local students and families.