Published: Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Cuts loom as voters defeat Youngstown school levy
Boardman voters rejected a $51.5 million bond issue to refurbish buildings.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — The president of the Youngstown Board of Education vowed "to continue what we've been doing to accomplish the type of [academic] advancement we've had," despite the defeat of a 9.5-mill school levy.
The Rev. Michael Write said the board will have to revisit operations "and see what we need to do" to further reduce spending.
The board will also have to decide when it will try to get the levy on the ballot again.
Meanwhile, the school superintendent has said she wants city school district residents to tell her where they want programming cuts to be made.
After the defeat of the levy on Tuesday's ballot by more than 2,000 votes, the Youngstown schools are faced with serious cuts to curtail spending this year to avoid an anticipated $8 million budget deficit.
The district already implemented $8.5 million in cuts this year, including the elimination of about 100 jobs but needs to make more stringent reductions without the estimated $4.1 million the levy would have produced annually. The levy would have remained in place for five years.
Public's input sought
Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, has said that all reductions to this point have avoided hurting academic programs but additional reductions will cut into that programming. She wants the public to be part of that process.
School officials said the levy passage was critical in terms of continuing the academic progress the district has achieved this year, rising from academic emergency to academic watch and nearly to continuous improvement on the state's local report card.
In addition to making internal cuts, the district will have to borrow about $9 million from the state to keep operating this year, according to Treasurer Carolyn Funk. That will be an interest-free loan that has to be repaid over a two-year period.
Youngstown was placed into fiscal watch by the state last fiscal year, which ended June 30, because it faced a $2 million deficit.
The levy failure means the state will likely place the district under fiscal emergency and appoint a fiscal oversight committee that could essentially take over operation of the district and leave the elected school board powerless.
Other Mahoning issues
Voters in Boardman turned down a school bond issue of 3.5 mills for 28 years, which would have raised $51.55 million to finance the refurbishing of all of the district's school buildings. The plan was to borrow the money up front and pay the debt with the bond revenue.
"We're going to have to sit down and talk about it," said Superintendent Frank Lazzeri, adding that it will be up to the board of education to determine what it wants to do.
The board may opt to put the bond issue back on the ballot as quickly as possible, he said.
Canfield voters approved a 6.9-mill renewal levy by a 2,200-vote margin. It was billed as a renewal, but the vote makes it a continuing levy, which means it will remain in place permanently. The tax generates about $3.3 million a year.
In other Mahoning County school issues, Jackson-Milton voters rejected a 1-mill, 27-year levy that would have financed development of a sports complex; Sebring voters approved a 1 percent, five-year income tax that will generate $390,000 a year; and Western Reserve voters approved a 4.2-mill five-year renewal levy that produces $368,000 a year.
gwin@vindy.com
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
Boardman voters rejected a $51.5 million bond issue to refurbish buildings.
By HAROLD GWIN
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN — The president of the Youngstown Board of Education vowed "to continue what we've been doing to accomplish the type of [academic] advancement we've had," despite the defeat of a 9.5-mill school levy.
The Rev. Michael Write said the board will have to revisit operations "and see what we need to do" to further reduce spending.
The board will also have to decide when it will try to get the levy on the ballot again.
Meanwhile, the school superintendent has said she wants city school district residents to tell her where they want programming cuts to be made.
After the defeat of the levy on Tuesday's ballot by more than 2,000 votes, the Youngstown schools are faced with serious cuts to curtail spending this year to avoid an anticipated $8 million budget deficit.
The district already implemented $8.5 million in cuts this year, including the elimination of about 100 jobs but needs to make more stringent reductions without the estimated $4.1 million the levy would have produced annually. The levy would have remained in place for five years.
Public's input sought
Dr. Wendy Webb, superintendent, has said that all reductions to this point have avoided hurting academic programs but additional reductions will cut into that programming. She wants the public to be part of that process.
School officials said the levy passage was critical in terms of continuing the academic progress the district has achieved this year, rising from academic emergency to academic watch and nearly to continuous improvement on the state's local report card.
In addition to making internal cuts, the district will have to borrow about $9 million from the state to keep operating this year, according to Treasurer Carolyn Funk. That will be an interest-free loan that has to be repaid over a two-year period.
Youngstown was placed into fiscal watch by the state last fiscal year, which ended June 30, because it faced a $2 million deficit.
The levy failure means the state will likely place the district under fiscal emergency and appoint a fiscal oversight committee that could essentially take over operation of the district and leave the elected school board powerless.
Other Mahoning issues
Voters in Boardman turned down a school bond issue of 3.5 mills for 28 years, which would have raised $51.55 million to finance the refurbishing of all of the district's school buildings. The plan was to borrow the money up front and pay the debt with the bond revenue.
"We're going to have to sit down and talk about it," said Superintendent Frank Lazzeri, adding that it will be up to the board of education to determine what it wants to do.
The board may opt to put the bond issue back on the ballot as quickly as possible, he said.
Canfield voters approved a 6.9-mill renewal levy by a 2,200-vote margin. It was billed as a renewal, but the vote makes it a continuing levy, which means it will remain in place permanently. The tax generates about $3.3 million a year.
In other Mahoning County school issues, Jackson-Milton voters rejected a 1-mill, 27-year levy that would have financed development of a sports complex; Sebring voters approved a 1 percent, five-year income tax that will generate $390,000 a year; and Western Reserve voters approved a 4.2-mill five-year renewal levy that produces $368,000 a year.
gwin@vindy.com
Wednesday, November 8, 2006
The president of the Youngstown Board of Education vowed "to continue what we've been doing to accomplish the type of...
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