By Frost McGahey, Investigative Journalist

Results of the school bond vote have some voters perplexed. The $25 million bond increasing property taxes 23 ½ percent passed with 2,134 for and 1,817 against - a difference of 317. That was the short bond question with the 4.1 mill levy.

The longer, existing bond with the 2 mill levy failed with 1,774 votes against and 1,707 in favor - a difference of 69. Its failure will save the taxpayer in property taxes about ½ of what the passage of the other bond will increase.

The odd thing was that 470 fewer people voted for this bond.

Usually when there are two ballot questions on either side of the form, there is a notice to go to the other side. This reporter couldn't find that on a copy of the ballot. Also, the yellow instructions from the Clerk's Office didn't mention there were questions on both sides of the ballot sent to the 12,597 voters in the Silver Consolidated School District.

Confusion on the $25 million bond was also caused by incorrect data the school district put out. It wasn't revised until Jarrod Mason*, an accountant familiar with school finances, pointed it out. That revision wasn't subsequently published in one of the ads the district ran in the Silver City Press.

In addition, one voter was told by a school official that property taxes for the schools hadn't increased in 10 years. That was false. Examining a Grant County property tax notice from 2015, the One line for the Silver Consolidated Schools tax rate was 6.169 on a simpler document.

The present property tax bill is confusing. For the tax bill of 2023, it takes 8 lines of school charges for a total of 11.33 mill levy. That's an increase of 81% from the 6.169 of 2015.

The tax bill has significantly so increased in complexity that it takes a call to the assessor's office to have it explained.

Asking for a $25 million bond seemed peculiar to some because according to William Hawkins, Silver Schools Superintendent, Jose Barrios and Sixth Street elementary will likely close in the future due to declining enrollment. Hawkins wrote in an email to the Silver City Press, "With approximately 2,172 students enrolled and a gradual decline of about 2 percent per year expected through 2029, our buildings that were designed for over 4,314 students, are only half-utilized."**

The Committee to Keep Grant County Affordable took out a full page ad in the Silver City Press on July 23 laying out all the reasons for voting NO on the tax increase of 23%. The ad states This tax hike is unprecedented – District residents have not faced an increase this significant in decades. It goes on to point out that this is just not a one-time tax, but will be the new rate year after year.

One unhappy voter asked how the bond could be stopped. Norm Wheeler, an experienced attorney was contacted for this article. In summary, he wrote that the one way the bond from going through is the use of an injunction.

An injunction is a lawsuit that would halt the School District from obtaining the $25 million bond and increasing property taxes. It can be filed by an individual or a group, and they would have to convince the court the injunction is justified. One basis could be that the school district provided false information and voters relied on that information.

This huge increase in property taxes is with a background of poorly performing Silver Schools. According to Public School Review as of 2022, Silver High School ranks within the bottom 50% of all 810 schools in New Mexico (based off of combined math and reading proficiency testing data.)

The percentage of students achieving proficiency in math is 10-14% (which is lower than the New Mexico state average of 24 %.) The percentage of students achieving proficiency in reading/language arts is 30-34% (which is approximately equal to the New Mexico state average of 34 %.)***

*Silver Schools Bond would increase Property Taxes by 23 ½ to 25% (grantcountybeat.com)

**Juno Ogle, Silver City Daily Press, August 8, 2024

***Silver High School (Ranked Bottom 50% for 2024) - Silver City, NM (publicschoolreview.com)