Lorain district says levy needed to avoid fiscal crisis
Jason Hawk | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — Voters will be asked to open both their hearts and wallets in November to keep the Lorain Schools from slipping into a $1.9 million deficit by the end of the decade.
School board members say they need an extra $3 million to $4 million per year over the next five years to avoid a financial pitfall in 2011.
They decided Thursday night to look at four operating levy amounts — 4.9 mills, 5.5 mills, 5.9 mills and 6.5 mills — and ask county Auditor Mark Stewart how much money each amount would generate.
They will decide Aug. 13 how many mills will go on the November ballot, school board President Jim Smith said.
If voters support the schools, the new tax will be collected starting Jan. 1, 2009. It would be the first new tax increase the schools have asked for in 16 years.
Treasurer Dale Weber said the levy would be enough to keep the Lorain Schools in the black through 2011, but more money would be needed to get the district through 2012.
Lorain schools have been frantically searching for financial relief since last summer, when former Treasurer Ryan Ghizzoni discovered a $5 million debt that had been previously overlooked.
More than 240 teachers were laid off to prevent the debt from growing to $15 million. So far, 70 of those teachers have been called back.
Dave Hager, a music teacher at Southview High School, said he thinks the cuts signaled to the community that the district’s money is now being handled responsibly.
“I think if it’s presented correctly, the voters will come forward and back us up,” he said after the meeting.
Antonio Barrios, chair of the district’s School Facilities Review Committee, said voters need to approve a levy if they want the Lorain Schools to survive.
“Realizing the difficulty of the economy, they have to pass this or we’ll be in trouble,” he said. “It’s their school system. They have to help.”
A levy is needed, but the real key to getting the Lorain Schools back on their feet is to win back students who have chosen to enroll elsewhere, Smith said.
With every Lorain student who chooses to attend Clearview or a charter school, the Lorain district loses $5,500 in state funding, he said. Bringing back just 200 students would put $1 million in state money back into Lorain’s coffers.
Smith said foreclosures are also throwing a monkey wrench into the district’s operations because vacant homes don’t contribute property taxes to the schools.
“If nobody’s paying the taxes, it doesn’t matter how much the millage is, because nobody’s getting anything,” he said.
Contact Jason Hawk at 329-7148 or jhawk@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Jason Hawk | The Chronicle-Telegram July 18th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 2% |
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Comments
Comment from
johnbear
July 18, 2008, 6:29 am
At some point they are going to bite the bullet and realize the money isn’t there. The same howeowners are getting punished over and over again. I support the schools completely, but am still tired af the overbundance of adminstration personnel. I want o see cuts and price freezes there. I’m sure we’ll hear “they’re paid for with grant money”! Once the grant money is gone the person is still there and we are paying the costs. Porbaly 50% of the parents of the school children pay no taxes at all, so where does the hammer fall, ON ME! Make everybody help, not just the homeowners.
Comment from
glory
July 18, 2008, 6:37 am
Sorry lorain schools need to get there budget under control. The school system could have leased anyone of the abanded schools and made money but they choose to leave these buildings abanded and vandalized in our nieghborhood’s. They have been given money to build new school and have gone over budget.
You control who leaves the system and what children can go to other districts then stop letting them leave and you have money. Also stop paying these superintends so much money. They take our money do very little for the school system and leave. Just like the last two. I’m sure the last one is enjoying the the house we helped build in Columbus. She spent more time in Columbus than here. Sorry I can’t afford to give this city anymore money at least until I see some changes in how things are run here.
Comment from
xfiles
July 18, 2008, 7:28 am
To: Jim Smith
The students are getting a better education at the charter schools. Why would they want to go to a Lorain public school? Clearview is also a wonderful school.
If you will take a paycut equal to the taxes I will have to pay, I will vote for the levy. Otherwise, get out your crying towel and try Plan B (better have a Plan B because Plan A will never fly). Stop punishing the taxpayers. Enough is enough already.
All people out there who want to start bashing me - be my guest.
Comment from
LOCO resident
July 18, 2008, 9:23 am
What else does the city of Lorain want from us? Raising license plate fee $15, raising the income tax for people that work outside of the city, now a levy. I don’t believe that we can afford much more. Maybe the schools should start cutting from the top instead of asking us for more money.
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