The Atlantic School Board still wants to bring an income surtax vote back before patrons of district. Board Secretary/District Business Manager Mary Beth Fast said the earliest the surtax could be placed before patrons of the district, is a special election on Sept. 13^th. The Board would need to have a ballot request submitted to County Election Commissioner Dale Sunderman by no later than July 29^th. The next dates for Special Elections are in December, February and April, 2017.

You may recall, last September, voters rejected a public measure to add an income tax surcharge component to the district’s Physical Plant and Equipment Levy (PPEL). The final tally was 452 No votes to 443 Yes votes, or, 49.5-percent approval. The measure needed a majority vote in order to pass. This past February, the Board revisited the matter.

Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein said during the Board’s Feb. 10^th meeting, that the surtax needs to come before the voters again, because, he said, as it stands right now, the only source of revenue for the PPEL is property taxes. An income surtax would give the Board the ability to have more flexibility with what it can do with the tax levy.

Board member Ali Bruckner suggested Wednesday, that they hold a work session to discuss their plan to move forward. Bruckner said the purpose of the work session would be to schedule community forums to educate the public about why they need the surtax. The bottom-line she said, is “It’s for the kids.”

Board member Dr. Keith Swanson has said the last Surtax asking was “Sold so poorly to the public,” he couldn’t believe it…meaning, it wasn’t explained well at all. Mary Beth Fast agreed the voters need to understand the surtax would reduce the property tax asking. Superintendent Mike Amstein said the surtax “Makes such a huge difference in your property tax.” Fast said at the February meeting, that the maximum surtax the District could impose, if approved, is 10-percent. Even if the District requested a nine-percent surtax, that would generate $300,000 and make for 67-cents difference in property tax relief.

Here is the latest Iowa news from The Associated Press

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Republican-controlled House has passed legislation that would add state oversight to boarding schools in Iowa, though the bill could face future opposition over exemption language. The House voted 74-24 Wednesday for the bill, which now goes to the Democratic-majority Senate.

SIBLEY, Iowa (AP) — Sibley leaders are studying the city’s options after owners of a processing plant didn’t meet a deadline to provide $50,000 to help reduce odors coming from the facility. The Sioux City Journal reports that Iowa Drying and Processing had until Monday turn in the money.

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — Dubuque police are investigating an apparent cross burning and are treating the incident as a possible hate crime. Police say Dubuque dispatchers received a report early Wednesday of burning items at the intersection of 22nd and Washington streets, but authorities did not initially find anything in the area. Police were notified again around 9:30 a.m. of burned objects in the same area. They found what appeared to be two crosses damaged by fire. More information will be provided Thursday.

LACONA, Iowa (AP) — The family of an Iowa woman who was fatally shot is trying to obtain a 911 call to include in their wrongful death lawsuit against the woman’s son. Sixty-eight-year-old Shirley Carter was found shot to death in June at her Lacona home. KCCI-TV reports the woman’s husband, Bill Carter, wants to obtain the 911 call from that night. No charges have been filed in the case.

Atlantic School District Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein has announced he will be retiring at the end of the 2016-17 school year. The announcement came during Wednesday evening’s regular meeting of the Atlantic School Board.

Amstein, who has served the Atlantic School District since April, 2010, said when he concludes his service here, he will have “been on one side of the desk or the other side of the desk for 53-years. My wife tells me it’s about time to ‘come to the house.'”

Atlantic Superintendent Dr. Michael Amstein (Ric Hanson, photo)

He said “You get a point in your life where you know it’s time to take a look at something else.” Amstein says he has some ideas of what he might do upon retirement, but “It probably won’t be in education….I want to do something that normal people do.”

He said in the meantime, he looks forward to the upcoming year, and that he will do whatever is necessary in the upcoming year to help in the transition to a new Superintendent, next year.

In a prepared statement, Dr. Amstein said “I am grateful to the Atlantic Community for making me feel so welcome into the community. My wife and I have been fortunate that we have been able in the short time that we have lived here, to have developed some life-long friendships that we will cherish and hope to continue.”

He said he’s proud “Of the fact the district’s test scores have improved steadily over the past six-years, the graduation rate has improved, while the district’s dropout rate has dropped to below the state average. None of these things could have been accomplished without the hard work and dedication of our teachers, support staff, administrators and school board members.”

Amstein joins a list of Superintendents from around southwest and western Iowa who have announced their resignations or retirements since the beginning of the 2015-16 school year. The most recent being Griswold’s Dana Kunze and Riverside’s Jim Sutton. Superintendents at Exira-Elk Horn/Kimballton and Farragut School Districts all announced their plans to leave this past fall and winter. Farragut’s Tom Hinrichs’ decision was immediate, after the State Board of Education stripped away the district’s local control.