Taxpayers in the Highland School District have approved an extension of the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL) with almost 80% of the votes in the affirmative.

A special election for the measure was held Tuesday, resulting in 205 yes votes to 56 no votes. Superintendent Ken Crawford says passage means PPEL will continue to generate about $325,000 for the district annually to help purchase items to keep their schools operating, “Understanding school finances having different pots of money and each pot of money can only be used for certain things. PPEL can’t be used for salaries, it can’t be used for a variety of other things, but it can be used for the bus barns, the buses, the football field, the track field, and sometimes those aren’t really glamorous purchases, but they are extremely needed to keep the district together, keep the buildings together. People think money coming into the school is one lump sum that can be used for anything you want, but no, it’s for very specific purchases.”

Crawford says the PPEL approved this week will take effect with the 2023 fiscal year starting July 1st, 2022, will continue for 10 years, and has no effect on the current tax rate. He says the special election saw 60 to 70 more people vote on the measure than the previous PPEL vote a decade ago, and the outcome is a great indicator of the support residents in the Highland community have for their schools.