Elyria Schools kicks off campaign for levy
Lisa Roberson | The Chronicle-Telegram
ELYRIA — Passing the renewal levy needed to keep Elyria Schools operating starts with one resident voting yes — and bringing along nine neighbors for the ride.
It’s called the “Mine+9” campaign.
Instrumental to passing the bond issue that is paving the way for the new Elyria High School, school officials resurrected the grassroots effort to get residents involved in the movement. Mine+9 kicked off Wednesday at a community information night at the high school.
There, parents and residents walked into the gymnasium to find the walls lined with the names and address of 27,000 registered voters. The instructions were very simple: Find the names of nine people who you were 90 percent sure would support the issue and vow to do whatever it takes to get them to the polls on Nov. 4.
“Five years ago, this much effort wouldn’t be put into a renewal,” Superintendent Paul Rigda said. “Renewals aren’t what they used to be, and this time around we are taking nothing for granted.”
Getting behind the spirit of Mine+9 is a no-brainer, said Steve Cobelka, the parent of a Kindergarten Village student and a 1-year-old who will eventually follow in his brother’s footsteps.
“We need this because we need to keep improving the technology in our school and the skills of our teachers,” he said. “We need to have the funding to make sure our kids are being taught with the best we can muster.”
The 4.95-mill operating levy, which will not increase taxes if passed, does just that, Rigda said.
It provided the same money residents have always paid but has to be renewed as its expiration date is quickly approaching.
“We know these are hard times, but we need people to be informed so that they understand we need their continued support to our schools,” he said.
Having that information at hand will be easy with Mine+9, said Amy Higgins, district spokeswoman.
“This tried-and-true method gives everyone a direct line to issue information,” she said. “We want residents to call the people they have adopted, answer their questions, send them postcards and most important remind them to vote.”
Contact Lisa Roberson at 329-7121 or lroberson@chroniclet.com.
| |
|
Filed by Lisa Roberson | The Chronicle-Telegram October 2nd, 2008 in BREAKING, Local and State. Popularity: 1% |
 Email this story
 Print this story
Read comments and discuss this story
Report an innappropriate comment
|
In order to comment, you must agree to our user agreement
and discussion guidelines.
You must be registered and logged in to post a comment. If you aren't already registered, click here. If you are registered, click here to log in.
Comments
Comment from
indians1
October 2, 2008, 8:09 am
Good luck with the renewal. Many school districts just tell voters to pass a levy ‘for the children.’ I think Elyria Schools has had recent levy successes (such as the new high school) because it has taken the time to show exactly how money will be spent and how it will benefit the students and the community. Voters will respond favorably if they know the money will be spent responsibly. That seems to be the case the past few years with Elyria Schools.
Write a Comment