Sara Jane Richter, Ph. D. 1971 HHS Graduate
Education: Everyone can agree that all people deserve an education. There’s not much of an argument there. One person’s education benefits all. Education comes with a price however. Students spend hours in study and deny themselves time with family and friends. They drive a 2010 Chevy Malibu rather than a new Dodge Challenger. They eat ground beef, not rib eye.
Then, there’s the other price—the dollars and dimes—for educations carry a price tag. Monies to pay for an education are available and used by students everywhere. Good work reaps rewards, but schooling is expensive: public school, college, trade school, graduate school, private school, home school, or charter school.
Consider the cost of a year’s tuition and fees at typical Oklahoma colleges/universities:
Oklahoma State University $14,000
University of Oklahoma $13,000
University of Central Oklahoma $8.000
Northwestern Oklahoma State University $19,000
Southwestern Oklahoma State University $22,000
Northern Oklahoma College—Tonkawa $3,700
Grants, scholarships, or monies provided by generous family members or hard-working students themselves cover those costs; they know a good investment.
Many students face the dilemma of attending a college or a trade school. Compare the educational costs of attending the above colleges to the cost of an education for an average Hennessey High School In-District junior or senior at O. T. Autry Technical School (Autry) or Chisholm Trail Technical Center (CTTC). The basic difference in covering the costs of students wishing to enroll in these technical schools comes from the fact that the Hennessey School District (HHS) pays all costs for students’ tuition, fees, books, supplies, and certification examinations at these tech centers.
Hennessey students have always had the opportunity to attend Autry and CTTC. Four years ago, HHS entered into a two-year agreement with CTTC and Autry to pay for students’ technical educations. With two one-year extensions, that agreement now ends, so HHS must decide on a new agreement—how to pay for students to attend. Soon, Hennessey will see a vote mandated by the State of Oklahoma to determine this question.
A simple majority “yes” vote means that HHS will join a new partnership with the two tech schools and that HHS students’ tuition, fees, supplies, books, and examinations will be paid by a millage increase. A “mill” is the “amount of tax payable per dollar of the assessed value of a property. The mill rate is based on ‘mills.’ It is a figure that represents the amount per $1,000 of the assessed value of the property which is used to calculate the amount of property tax.” Current millage for Hennessey property owners’ taxation purposes is 77%.
If voters vote to join the partnership, millage would increase by 12 mills to pay for students to attend CTTC, making Hennessey’s taxation percentage 89 mills. A millage increase demands an increase in property tax affecting anyone in Hennessey who owns property such as homes, buildings, farms, equipment, businesses, or land or anyone who rents property. To fund students attending CTTC beginning the 2022-2023 academic year, Hennessey property tax would increase by 15.5%. To partner with Autry, mills increase by 15, making the total mills in HHS 92, and that millage increase means an increase in property taxes by 19.4%. Those are significant percentages.
To illustrate the impact of these property tax hikes, consider these facts. The owner of a 160-acre farm without any improvements such as house, wind tower, barn, shop, shed, corral, or fence now pays property tax of $750/year. The agreement with CTTC increases that land owners’ property tax by $116/year, and the Autry partnership increases that property tax by $146/year.
A person who owns 10 quarters of land (1 quarter equals 160 acres) would see property tax increased by $1,160/year for CTTC and $1,460 for Autry, a hefty increase. Furthermore, if those 10 quarters have any improvements (home, barn, wind tower, shop, etc.), property tax increases more.
Too, personal property like homes and rental property will see a tax hike as well. Currently, average homeowners pay property tax of approximately $1,100/year. With a connection to CTTC, taxes for that homeowner increase by $171; with Autry, taxes increase by $213. Of course, rental property owners will pass on these tax increases to their renters.
Once a partnership is voted on and approved, there’s no backing out of it—ever. Ever.
Just what would a partnership cost HHS and Hennessey taxpayers? A partnership with CTTC requires that HHS pay $1,080,000 annually to CTTC, regardless of how many students attend there; the partnership with Autry requires that HHS pay $1,380,000 regardless of how many students enroll at Autry. That $1,080,000 or $1,380,000 comes from taxpayers’ property taxes, a huge burden given the current financial situation with increased costs of groceries, fuel, goods, homes, vehicles; disrupted and unsecured trade and supply chains, and federal and state spending policies.
What will those tax dollars will buy at CTTC or Autry? For that money to be used for what it was voted to be used for (tuition, books, supplies, fees, certification examinations), at least 57 HHS students must attend CTTC, and 86 students must attend Autry. That million dollars plus of property taxes is not pro-rated or returned to HHS if not used; it goes to the tech schools. HHS can’t reclaim the unused portion. Costs for CTTC students per academic year equal $18,915; costs for Autry students per academic year come to $16,020.
In the 2021-2022 academic year, 9 HHS students attend CTTC, but none attend Autry. If only 9 students attend CTTC in the 2022-2023 year, HHS will overpay CTTC by $1,062,765. If only 9 students opt to enroll at Autry, HHS overpays Autry by $1,245,820. Payment of those million dollars plus to either tech school must be paid regardless of how many HHS students enroll—0, 9, 57, or 86. Again, don’t expect a rebate; it’s all or nothing.
An interesting financial fact is that if a HHS student has already graduated from high school and wishes to attend a tech school, his/her yearly cost is only $2,500. That is one huge discrepancy between high school students and high school graduates.
For this academic year, the Kokojan Trust Fund has generously paid for HHS graduation-bound senior students who wish to attend tech school, but this fund is not unlimited and will certainly end sometime. In addition, other entities approach the Kokojan Trust Fund with financial requests, so not all monies can be spent on tech school-bound HHS seniors.
Pursuing an education is important, and individuals should take advantage of educational opportunities; however, an entire community should not shoulder that cost when that cost seems prohibitibve to the taxpayers who already contribute frianancially to their community and school. Think hard about how voting on the tech college partnership will impact you, your neighbors, your businesses, and your community. Overwhelming property tax bills may very well impact home, property, and business owners and renters in Hennessey by causing them to move away or to reconsider moving into or to stop plans to build structures or homes. Any population shift would negatively impact HHS numbers, state financial support, and the local tax base.
Do you want your vote to negatively affect Hennessey for the long, long term? Think hard how you will vote. Discuss it with your friends, colleagues, and family. Look at your rental costs and past property tax bills and how these tech school partnerships will financially touch you. Think hard about this life-changing proposition and then vote your conscience. Vote, but be informed. Don’t let this election impact future votes for HHS issues and financial needs. Don’t sports teams, FFA, cheerleaders, and other Eagles ask for your financial support or sponsorship during the year? Isn’t there the possibility that a new high school will be built within a decade? Consider the financial burden that Hennessey has already assumed for recent school and community improvements. Think hard about how and what these tech centers do specifically for Hennessey. When was the last time you knew of or attended an event in Hennessey sponsored by Autry or CTTC? Think hard about this issue because it will have a long-lasting impact on your community of Hennessey, Oklahoma.
