The Ames Community School Board will vote Monday to join the six school districts in Story County to levy a one percent local option sales tax increase.

Ames School Board member Mary Jane Bastiaans said the money is needed for the district to build a new middle school, pay off property on Mortensen Road and renovate the high school.

“In Ames we need to address our secondary infrastructure,” Bastiaans said. “The current board is committed to building a new middle school and then renovating the high school in a timely manner. There hasn’t been a [school board] vote to build it yet, though. But there is overcrowding in both the high school and middle school.”

Bastiaans said the current middle school isn’t in good shape.

“The middle school is not conducive to learning,” she said. “It was never meant to hold this many students. It was never meant to last as long as it’s been limping by. The middle school is the most critical need we have.”

The renovations in the high school would include a new cafeteria, new locker rooms and a commons area for students, Bastiaans said.

Ames Superintendent Ray Richardson recommended the Ames School District make another attempt at the sales tax during a school board meeting June 24. By eliminating the Mortensen debt the district could free up nearly $2.2 million over a five-year period to fund technology, energy conservation measures, air conditioning and other issues, Richardson said.

“From the general funds there’s no way we could meet the needs of our district and keep up with technology,” Bastiaans said. “We need that technology and how are we going to do that?”

A majority vote is necessary for the Ames Community School Board to join the other Story County school districts. If that happens there would be a special voter election throughout all of Story County. Bastiaans said the vote has been tried twice before and was narrowly defeated.

“To pass a sales tax levy you need a 50 percent voter approval,” Bastiaans said. “The first time the vote was really close. If a few people had voted differently there would already be a one percent increase.”

Bastiaans assumes the board will pass the recommendation.

“We’re hoping community members from around the county get out and help educate people,” she said. “If the levy doesn’t pass then the school district would have to move to a bond referendum for only the City of Ames, which would raise community property taxes.”