Millage Increase Vote Frequently Asked Questions

Mid-America Technology Center has initiated a millage increase election for August 12, 2025.  Citizens living in the MATC district will be eligible to vote in the election and direct the future of the school.  Many of our stakeholders have had questions regarding the impact of this election.  The most frequently asked questions are listed below.  If you have a question you’d like to submit, please email Mid-America Technology Center at [email protected]. 

 

What is Mid-America Technology Center asking for?

MATC is asking the voters in our district to approve a 3 mill increase to our Building Fund.  We are currently at 1 mill out of a possible 5. This would raise us to 4 mills out of a possible 5.

 

Is this a tax increase?

Yes.  This Building Fund millage increase election, if passed, would raise your property taxes.

 

How much will it cost me?  

Your property taxes are based on the assessed value (not market value) of your property.  Each property owner would need their assessed value to calculate their new property tax bill if the millage increase is passed.  The easiest calculation is a $33/year increase for every $100,000 in assessed value of a property.  Some examples and the formula are below.

A $200,000 property would have an increase of $66/year

A $500,000 property would have an increase of $165/year

A $2,000,000 property would have an increase of $660/year

From McClain County Assessor – Elizabeth Patrick: If you took 200,000 x 11% = 22000 x .00103 = 22.63 current rate, add 4 mils and it would  be 200,000 x11% = 22,00 x .00403 =88.66 no matter if it is rural or agriculture. It goes by the assessed value of each property.

 

Why does MATC need the millage increase?

Mid-America Technology Center has more demand than space for students to enroll.  For the past several years, MATC has had to turn away more students than we are able to accept.  Without a millage increase, MATC simply cannot add enough additional classroom space and staff to make a meaningful difference to the waitlist. 

Saying yes to the millage increase will allow MATC to:

1. Build a new campus
2. Say yes to more students
3. Reduce the existing waiting list
4. Add new in-demand Full-Time programs
5. Improve existing facilities
6. Offer more short-term and evening career programs near our largest communities

 

How big is our current waitlist?

As of June 2, there were 1106 on the waiting list for Full-Time programs at MATC.  1110 students are enrolled.  Approximately half of the 1100 students enrolled will be returning (2^nd year) students who will complete their two-year program.  The remaining half are new enrollments for the year.

 

Who gets to vote?

Registered voters in our 18 sending school districts in McClain, Garvin and parts of Cleveland, Grady, Murray, Pontotoc, Pottawatomie, and Stephens  counties will be eligible to vote.  If you currently pay taxes to MATC, you should be an eligible voter.

 

What does MATC plan to do with the increased Building Fund?

Build!  We must provide more classroom and shop space to meet the demands of the waiting list.  We immediately need to add or duplicate 12 programs. To meet the expectations of sending schools’ Service Rate (percentage of eligible juniors and seniors who enroll at MATC), we need to add 700 seats. A technology center Building Fund can be used for the following:

for erecting, remodeling, repairing or maintaining school buildings

for purchasing furniture, equipment and computer software to be used on or for school district property

for repairing and maintaining computer systems and equipment

for paying energy and utility costs

for purchasing telecommunications utilities and services

for paying fire and casualty insurance premiums for school facilities

for purchasing security systems

for paying salaries of security personnel

for purchasing school buses

for one or more, or all, of such purposes.

 

What would we build?

We need to begin construction on a campus in the northern area of our district.   We need a school option that is closer to our fastest growing student population.  Our 4 largest and fastest growing schools are more than 30 miles from the Wayne campus.  This restricts their students’ opportunities to become students at MATC. 

 

How would a north campus help schools/communities in the central or southern areas of the district?

By adding 700 seats to a north campus, we would be freeing up 700 seats from our Wayne campus, nearly doubling our capacity for new students at Wayne.  This increases the opportunities for all students, including those in our southern schools.

 

Will you abandon the Wayne campus?  

No, we just finished a major investment of our Wayne campus and will continue to update and upgrade facilities there.

 

Where is the new campus to be located?

The proposed location is Blanchard TIF 2 at the junction of HWY 9 and HWY 62.  

 

What is the total cost of the building project?

To add 5 full-time programs and BIS/PRO training space and necessary infrastructure would cost $10 million based on Indian Capital Technology Center – Coweta Campus built in 2023.  That would be considered Phase 1.  To get to 12 full-time programs and additional BIS/PRO space like the Wayne Campus would cost an additional $15 - $20 million dollars.  With inflation & supply chain costs, an operational full campus would cost $35 million and would take approximately 10 years to complete. 

 

Why can’t you just continue to expand at your Wayne campus?

Several of our largest communities, with the largest student populations, have the longest commutes MATC’s Wayne campus.  In some cases, students are driving or riding a bus 35-40 minutes to class.  Expanding to a north campus not only increases enrollment capacity, but it also makes our school much more accessible to our citizens. 

 

Does this mean Mid-America has financial trouble?

No, we have a very fiscally conservative school board.  Our Wayne campus is in good financial health.  Our finance department and administration maintain the stewardship values of the past four superintendents.  Our board also recognizes that to build an additional campus to serve the northern part of the district, we need to increase our revenue to maintain good financial health. 

 

 

What programs are driving the waitlist?

What programs are we launching at the new campus?

Initially we would duplicate high-demand classes to ensure the our highest enrollment/waitlist classes were the priority.  The 9 classes listed above plus LPN would be our starting point.  Once the campus is established and data dictates new or other classes, we will move that direction. 

 

Where does 4 mills rank among our sister schools?

Our 18 sending schools are all at 5 mills building fund.  Among Career Techs, 1 of the 29 is currently at 4, 11 are at 5, and 3 are above the max of 5 due to bonds. 

 

How is a millage vote different than a bond vote?

A bond is a set term and much higher tax.  Many have asked why we are not doing a bond. It has been the practice of Mid-America Technology Center and the majority of technology centers state-wide not to use a bond as a revenue tool. As a practice, tech centers do not want to compete for the same dollars as our K12 partners.  This would also impact the bonding capacity of our partner schools, limiting their revenue growth opportunities.  A millage by statute is permanent until voted on.  During the first 25 years of MATC’s existence, we ranged from 3 to 5 mills building fund.  That was lowered to 1 in 1995 following completion of our Health Building. This was a time when we thought we had built everything we needed to serve our 600 students.  

 

What are the plans for the Highway 9 property?

Plan A is to sell the Highway 9 property to help pay for our current land purchase. There are several developers interested in the 20 acres on HWY 9 near May Avenue.  This site has a 37’ slope from east to west and a canyon and pond in the center of it.  It does not appear to be able to accommodate the future needs of MATC. 

 

Why haven’t you considered cheaper/different property?

Administration has looked at a variety of properties over the years.  Because of location, size, and access and costs, the property being pursued best suits our needs for a new campus location.

 

If the vote is “no”, what’s the net result?

We will continue to grow and develop our Wayne campus according to our Strategic Plan.  There are currently 3 building projects in the queue, and the vote will not change that.  This millage increase will give us the ability to begin a north campus, but will not impact our current plans for Wayne.  A no vote on the millage increase will significantly limit, if not eliminate the possibility of building a north campus.