LINN COUNTY - It would tax Linn County customers even more for 10 years. But supporters say this vote could help Linn County students for much longer. Linn county voters will soon head to the polls to decide whether they should have a 1 percent sales tax increase.

Things at Springville School are just stuck.

Superintendent Oran Teut says, "I replaced three doors this summer and it cost me $8,000. Just for three doors."

Teut says, without money, many doors of opportunity remain closed.

"I'm a firm believer if you've got good buildings, your kids will behave and learn easier."

A shortage of funding caused the school to deteriorate and become something never intended for 500 students. For instance, the hallway is a storage closet. Teut says it puts his school at the mercy of the fire marshal and his students in jeopardy.

"If there was a fire or an emergency, it would hamper kids getting out of the building."

A lot of things, even the heat, are out of place and need an upgrade.

The music building is the oldest, built in the 1890s, and as the oldest it's also the hardest to heat. The windows have cracks, and the foundation is so broken it could cost $200-thousand alone to repair the entire building.

Another example -- the wrestling team practices on the theater stage. Here, temporary solutions have become permanent problems.

Teut says, "Because we're small, we may not generate as much revenue as a bigger district may."

He says, in a small town, it's tough to pass a property tax, so he's counting on this county-wide local option sales tax increase to come through.

"I think every time there's a tax in Linn County, there's a mind set that it's only for Cedar Rapids School District or Cedar Rapids."

There are 14 school districts in Linn County. All but four have fewer than 1,500 students. Teut says for them, this local option sales tax might be the only option they have left.

If the tax increase goes into effect, Springville school says it stands to gain just under half a million dollars each year. The money would pay for an addition onto the school and major upgrades to the heating and air conditioning system.

Web Sites:

Linn County Special Election

Johnson County Special Election

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