When it comes to governments and law-making bodies, the constitutional federal republic as intended by the framers of the U.S. Constitution has them in spades. Federal, Local, State and County—often overlapping, but with a strict pecking order as is necessary to function. Regarding the Stanley-Boyd School District government and the multiple municipalities it draws funding from for the broader good of the area, the following can be known.

In the first place, not all towns and other municipalities contribute equally, due in part to the fact that not all municipalities share an equal area within the district but also to the individual property assessments for each area, rising and/or falling with the passage of time and market conditions. Comparing the details in cost share for each member in the Stanley-Boyd educational project between 2017 and today, these are the numbers.

For the academic year beginning in Fall 2017, the City of Stanley carried the lion’s share of the district levy burden, with an assessed valuation of $94,214,300 resulting in a total 26.5 percent of the cost to local taxpayers, although not the whole story in terms of district budget—there are state and federal sources as well, after all.

Meanwhile, coming in second on the local level for Stanley-Boyd for 2017-18 was the town of Colburn, with a valuation of $59,699,105 for 16.8 percent of the cost to local taxpayers. Next are the Towns of Delmar and Edson with valuations in the mid to upper 40 millions of dollars and between 13 and 14 percent of the local S-B District levy burden each. Gone are the days when small country schools divided into separate districts within a township went it alone in the educational universe. Together is stronger in the modern educational mindset.

As partial supporting evidence for this, next up are the Towns of Worden (at 7.8 percent of the district cost and a valuation of $27.7 million) and Thorp (at 7.7 percent of the cost and a valuation of $27.4 million). The Town of Thorp, meanwhile, should not be confused with the City of Thorp, predominantly located in the southeast corner of the township and enjoying its own sphere of hegemonic influence vis à vis the Stanley-Boyd district. At any rate, following the Town of Thorp for 2017 was the Village of Boyd with a property valuation of $23.3 million for around 6.6 percent of the district levy burden. Voting itself into partnership with Stanley near the beginning of the 1960s, the town with largely German roots along Highway 29 has seen its share of the cost burden rise just slightly over the past four years—more on that in a moment.

Following Boyd in 2017 were the Towns of Wilson (valued at $16.7 million and 4.5 percent of the cost) and Taft (valued at 10.7 million with 3.1 percent of the cost). Last but not least in the district levy cost division for 2017 was the Town of Butler, with an assessed value of land located within the Stanley-Boyd district of $242,038 for 0.06 percent of the $2.957 million levy cost in 2017. So much for three years ago. What of today?

In the first place, the overall local district levy is smaller by $82,369 at $2,874,679, even as property valuations have gone up across the board in the district, taken as a strict dollar value— wider pool, changed equation. And the rankings?

In the first place, the City of Stanley has retained pride of place