The Buchanan County School District says it needs more tax money to take track athletes off the streets and keep flying basketballs out of band practice.

The Breckenridge School District says it needs more taxpayer support to combat declining enrollment.

All this at a time when gas prices are too painful to print.

“We know gas prices are up and that the last thing people want to do is spend more money. But we hope that people think that keeping the school here is worth a little more money. What we’re proposing would cost the owner of an average-priced home another quarter a day,” Breckenridge Superintendent John Dunham said.

Northwest Missouri’s Buchanan County and Breckenridge school districts are proposing tax increases for the Aug. 5 election.

Buchanan County, which includes DeKalb Middle and High School and Rushville Elementary School, is going back to voters with the same proposal that failed by less than 20 votes in April.

The district is asking voters to approve bonds for a new sports complex, including the district’s first track, a new vocational-agricultural building and conversion of the existing vo-ag building into a band room.

Taxpayers would fund the $1.3 million project. The district’s tax rate of $4.90 per $100 of assessed valuation would increase by 38 cents to $5.28 per $100 of assessed valuation — a 7 percent property tax increase.

Superintendent Lane Novinger said that to get the needed 57 percent voter approval, supporters are calling voters, something they didn’t do in the spring. And the district is working to get more detailed information to the public.

The economy is taking a toll on district residents, he said, yet these improvements are necessary.

Breckenridge proposes eliminating a property tax rollback tied to the statewide Proposition C sales tax. A majority of Missouri school districts have the waiver Breckenridge seeks.

If the proposal passes, district property taxes could increase by about 19 percent. For example, last year’s tax rate of $4.54 per $100 of assessed valuation reflected a rollback of 88 cents per $100 of assessed valuation. The district would have collected another $42,000 last year if it had the waiver.

The district of 93 students is experiencing declining enrollment — something that will increasingly hurt the district financially due to state funding laws, Mr. Dunham said.

“We’re gonna get in a pinch here in a couple years if this doesn’t pass,” he said.

Nancy Hull can be reached

at nancyhull@npgco.com.