Dallas county schools ask for tax levy increase to build new technical center

Next month voters in Dallas County will vote on a proposed tax levy increase to build a new technical center and agriculture building on Buffalo High School's campus.

It would cost tax payers more, but would give students more opportunities to train for what's to come after they graduate.

Currently the Dallas County school district has a technical center in Louisburg, about 15 minutes north of Buffalo.

"We are kind of out in the shop working on whatever we have got out here," said Dayton Armstrong, a Buffalo junior. "So we do a lot of hands on stuff."

Students from eight schools take buses out to the center everyday, to learn things like welding, criminal justice, and graphic arts.

"It gives you the experience that you will learn in school if you go to school for it." said Wheatland senior Colton Kite.

But due to the travel time to and from the technical center, the students lose a class period during the semester. And the buildings are aging, all of them are at least 75 years old.

"There reaches a point where we are putting money into something that we just can't maintain any further." said Superintendent Tim Ryan.

If the levy increase passes, the technical center will be built right outside of Buffalo High School and will replace the existing technical center in Louisburg.

"This is one project we simply cannot fund." said Ryan.

It the issue passes, for a home assessed at $100,000, homeowners would pay $7.28 more per month on property taxes.

For a $50,000 home, it would be $3.64 more, and for a $150,000 home it would be $10.93 more per month.

Students hope that the nicer complex may attract more people to the program.

"Everybody comes out here to look at this place before their sophomore year, and I think if it were nicer potentially we could get more students in on it." said Armstrong.

Kite said it may also give them more space.

"I feel like we could get more stuff done at once. Like say if we had two paint booths or something like that, we could have a vehicle in one and then hoods and fenders in the other, because we do a lot of stuff like that."

The tax levy increase will be on the April 2nd ballot in Dallas County.

If you would like more information on the tax levy, Click