Kelly Mrsic, a managing director with Baird investment firm, explained the nuances of bonding and taxes to board members. Gage Wilson/ for Glasgow News 1
By GAGE WILSON
for Glasgow News 1
The Caverna Independent Schools Board of Education had a special-called meeting Thursday, anchored by an in-depth Baird briefing from Kelly Mrsic that lasted nearly an hour, setting the stage for a focused — and at times tense — discussion over tax rates.
The board’s chamber reflected the public interest in the matter, with those in attendance sitting and standing wall to wall at the central office. “I wish we saw you all more than just at tax time,” Superintendent Amanda Abell laughed. While the board originally planned to hear from seven attendees during public comments, four withdrew their names. Commenters were asked to limit their remarks to three minutes.
First to speak was long-time Caverna educator Terry Thorpe, who drew upon her experiences as she spoke on the benefits more revenue could bring to the district. “I know you’re here because you are worried about a tax increase, it is never a goal to raise taxes,” Thorpe said. “Property assessments have gone up, but the percentage Caverna takes out has decreased over the last three years.”
She said increased revenue would bolster the district’s efforts not only to continue beautification, but also to provide programming to support students’ academic growth. Thorpe also pointed to the “Nickel Tax,” which refers to an extra five-cent property tax added specifically to help fund facility improvements. She said that Caverna could raise this tax “like other districts” but has chosen not to.
Two other speakers, alumni Sammy Doyle and Terry Martin, both spoke in favor of the board voting for the compensating rate, which would lock the district into its current rate of 72.2 cents per $100, down from last year’s 75.8 cents. “Compensating rate is what I support,” Doyle said.
Baird representative Kelly Mrsic then led an hour-long presentation, answering board questions while also explaining tax terminology and the district’s bonding capacity — both of which play a role in financial planning.
The board members voted to take compensating rate for the 2025–26 fiscal year following Mrsic’s presentation.
In other business, the board approved plans for its latest BG-1 project, which includes a new roof for the elementary school and resurfacing of the school’s track. Athletic director Peter Distefano was asked by Abell to answer questions relating to the track. “Basically, I know our track is in ill repair,” he began,“and unfortunately our kids cannot practice around it because there’s grass growing through cracks and things like that.”
Distefano rejected the idea of expanding the track to eight lanes, which would allow the district to host regional meets, saying the expansion would cut into the school’s football field. “We’re looking for just the ordinary six-lane track so we can host track meets,” he explained. “I know you’ve got some bonding capacity going on right now and it would make sense to do some track renovations, so we can add to the second bond that you’re using for the tennis courts.”
Most questions centered on what material the track should be resurfaced with — asphalt or a rubberized layer. Distefano vouched for the rubberized material, noting that asphalt has much less “give” and could potentially injure athletes. He and Chairwoman Jennifer Briggs also pointed to the reassurance in knowing that funding for these projects is restricted specifically for such capital improvements.
Speaking on the benefits of the project, Distefano noted how a well-maintained athletic department can boost public perception of a school. “I hate to say this because I was a principal and academics are really important to me,” he said. “But most people who come to Caverna or any other school, judge the school by what their athletic facilities look like, because that’s the only thing they get to see.”
The board then moved to approve the district’s student code of conduct and handbook. Board member Allison Dennison was first to ask for clarification on what constitutes “horseplay” versus fighting. “There’s a grey area to specify,” she said. High School Principal Frank Beauchamp responded, saying, “It states in the handbook that it’s up to principal discretion, so in those grey areas I just have to make a decision.”
“That’s fine,” said Dennison, “I just don’t want what we’re going through to happen again.”
Lastly, the board approved a $2,500 stipend for a staff member to assist with public relations. “This person does not receive a stipend,” said Abell. “We realized that she is going to be doing a substantial amount of ‘after-hours’ work.” She went on to say the district plans to “push a lot of positivity” and redouble its social media presence. “We can’t afford to have a full-time person like most districts, so this is a way for us to have someone in charge of that and compensate them.” The board unanimously approved the stipend.
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