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Area schools ask voters to approve taxes
By John Higgins Beacon Journal staff writer
Published on Sunday, Oct 28, 2007
The tightly packed rows of desks in the sixth-grade classrooms in Northwest Intermediate School resemble the coach cabin on a small airline.
But instead of pushing snack carts up the narrow aisles, the teachers are trying to keep every child on track to do well on state achievement tests. Giving the kids one-on-one attention got harder this year when the Northwest district couldn't afford to replace five retiring elementary schoolteachers.
Northwest went from seven classes per grade level to six, adding as many as six kids to some classes. Now the district is going back to the voters in the Canal Fulton-Clinton area for the sixth time, asking them to replace a 6-mill levy originally passed in 1970.
Owners of a $100,000 home pay about $986 for the levy; passage of the replacement would boost that by another $122.
Northwest is among several area school districts asking voters for new money on Election Day to reverse past cuts, avoid state fiscal oversight, leverage state money for school construction, maintain programs and cover rising costs.
Most are asking for increases in property taxes, although Tallmadge is seeking a five-year, 1 percent tax on earned income that is expected to raise $3.2 million a year for the district's operating expenses.
Such a tax would cost a wage earner $300 for every $30,000 of income. Retirement income would not be taxed.
This is the district's first attempt at an income tax. If the issue fails, the district may go back to voters next year with a property tax request.
Property tax is measured in mills (1/10th of a cent), which translates into $1 for each $1,000 taxable value of the property, according to the Ohio Department of Taxation. The taxable (assessed) value is 35 percent of the property's fair market value.
Three Stark County districts Northwest, Plain and Louisville are hoping to reverse cuts they made because of tight budgets.
Northwest already has a list of teachers ready to lay off; it wasn't necessary last year because of the retirements, but if the levy fails again, Stinson Elementary Principal Lori Mariani may have to let five teachers go.
She's most concerned that the crowding the district is experiencing this year will lead to some kids not getting the attention they need.
''It's not necessarily that our students are misbehaving or doing anything wrong,'' she said, ''but it's almost like there's so many of them, they can kind of just sit back and kind of drift off and there's still enough bodies to volunteer.''
Louisville is making its third try to replace a 6-mill operating levy and hopes to bring back elementary tutors and reduce pay-to-participate fees. The levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $138 more.
Plain Local Schools also want to eliminate pay-to-participate fees and possibly bring back four staffers out of 23 who were lost to budget cuts. An attempt to pass a levy at a higher millage (9.8) failed in February, so the district is now seeking 5.5 mills for five years.
The Canton City and Alliance school districts, also in Stark County, are seeking new money to stay even with operating expenses.
Canton, which is undergoing a state review of its finances and conducting a performance audit, is asking for an 8-mill, continuing operating levy that would raise $6.5 million a year.
Alliance is looking for a 2-mill continuing levy to assist with additional operating costs and increase career and technical training.
Other area districts are seeking money for building purposes.
Barberton and Rittman are trying to leverage state money for school construction. Barberton needs to pass a 6.9-mill bond issue to raise about $40 million, which would be paid back over 27 years. The money (40 percent of the cost) is necessary to receive $43 million from the state to build schools.
The state wants assurances that new buildings will be maintained, so Rittman needs to pass a 0.5-mill maintenance levy that would raise $56,600 a year for 23 years. If voters pass that, the state will contribute about $13 million to renovate the building housing the high school and middle school.
The Nordonia Hills district would like to upgrade, renovate and build facilities at Nordonia High School, including a football stadium, two concession stands, softball fields, baseball fields, soccer fields, tennis courts and additional parking. But first it needs to pass a 0.5-mill bond issue.
The Wayne County Joint Vocational School is trying to pass a 0.75-mill, 10-year additional tax to renovate its career center complex.
Some districts are asking for money for both operations and building improvements in a single issue.
Streetsboro is making its third attempt to pass a combined 5.1-mill levy, which renews 3.6 mills for operations and adds 1.5 mills for permanent improvements.
Bottom line: It would cost the owner of a $100,000 home in the Streetsboro district about $61 more a year.
The district could maintain programs and restore busing to last school year's levels if the levy passes. Permanent improvements would include a new roof for Wait Elementary School, new school buses and musical instruments and parking lot repairs.
If the levy fails, teachers would be laid off next school year, maintenance would continue to be deferred and busing cuts would remain in place.
Aurora also has a combined 6-mill levy on the ballot (4.12 mills for operating expenses and 1.88 mills for building additions and renovations).
The district wants to maintain operations and add nine classrooms to the high school, six classrooms to the middle school and three classrooms to Miller Elementary School.
John Higgins can be reached at 330-996-3792, 800-777-7232 or jhiggins@thebeaconjournal.com.
The tightly packed rows of desks in the sixth-grade classrooms in Northwest Intermediate School resemble the coach cabin on a small airline.
Get the full article here.
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