Louisville schools seeks to pass 5.9-mill operating levy
LOUISVILLE – Residents in the Louisville City School District will see a familiar request on their ballot: A school levy.
But this request is different than the district’s three previous attempts, school officials say.
The district is seeking a smaller amount – 5.9 mills – compared to the previous levy issues that sought at least 6.7 mills. Voters rejected the most recent request of a 6.7-mill levy in November with nearly 53% of voters against it.
This attempt – Issue 13 on the May 4 ballot – also comes with the pledge from school officials that they would not seek any new tax dollars during the duration of the five-year levy if the 5.9-mill levy is approved.
While there is no formal opposition to Issue 13, residents who have expressed opposition to the past levy attempts have cited various factors for their decision including a general disdain for property tax increases, an inability to pay higher taxes, distrust of district leadership and disapproval of the district’s handling of the teachers strike in 2016.
More about Louisville’s Issue 13:Louisville City Schools, seeking a 5.9 mill levy on May ballot, rallying supporters
If voters approve Issue 13, the emergency operating levy would generate $2.56 million annually and cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 another $206 a year.
The revenue would allow the district of roughly 2,800 students to restore some — but not all — of the $1.7 million worth of cuts that were made last May. The cuts included eliminating busing for hundreds of students and cutting teachers and other staff. Some class sizes have increased to roughly 28 to 30 students per teacher since the cuts took effect.
Treasurer Derek Nottingham said calculating how much the district could restore if the levy passes is difficult because school budgets statewide are in such flux due to proposed changes in state funding and the coronavirus pandemic.
State lawmakers continue to debate how best to fund schools for the next two years, with the Ohio House recently passing its version that changes aspects of how districts are funded. Under the House’s version, Louisville would initially see an increase in funding but would lose more than $300,000 a year when the House’s plan is fully phased in after six years. The district currently receives more than $14 million in state funding, which represents just over half of the district’s main operating fund revenue.
The coronavirus pandemic has significantly increased operating expenses this school year as Louisville added additional physical barriers and increased cleaning so it could bring students into its buildings five days a week. But the district also has received more than $4.5 million in federal coronavirus relief funding that it can use to offset some of those costs and to help students who have struggled academically, socially and emotionally during the pandemic.
Nottingham, who recently aired a series of YouTube videos to explain district finances, said the district is seeing how it can best maximize the relief dollars in ways that would lower the district’s overall expenses.
Superintendent Michele Shaffer said restoring busing would be a priority if Issue 13 passes.
She said the district also would seek to:
- Restore class offerings.
- Restore field trips.
- Lower pay-to-participate fees for extracurricular activities.
- Keep its safety and mental health services intact. School officials have said the district has witnessed a “tenfold” increase in cases of students with social or emotional needs.
Shaffer and Nottingham said the district also will eliminate nearly all school fees for the duration of the five-year levy. Nottingham estimated that the average elementary and middle school parent spends between $30 and $50 on school fees with high school students’ fees varying dramatically based on the classes they choose to take. Fees for Advanced Placement courses and parking permits would remain.
“The campaign this time around is really focused on the parents,” Nottingham said. “… We thought it would be helpful for a lot of them. We’re wanting them to increase their tax bill, so this would be one way to offset that cost.”
Nottingham said the district annually collects roughly $140,000 a year from classroom fees.
If Issue 13 fails
Nottingham and Shaffer said the budget’s uncertainty prevents them from specifying what staff, programs and activities would be cut if Issue 13 fails.
They said they do not expect to enforce the second phase of cuts they had announced in January 2020. The $1.37 million proposed reduction plan had included cutting up to 13 additional certified positions, a central office position, a technology specialist, two school resource officers, mental health services, and some middle school and high school sports and other extracurricular activities.
“Now that we’d be in a post-pandemic world, we’re not as comfortable moving forward with those same things that were projected or planned at that time,” Nottingham said. “Especially with that mental health services piece (considering that) kids are having extra struggles coping with the pandemic.”
According to state figures, Louisville’s spending of $10,905 per student ranks among the lowest 5% of Ohio’s 607 school districts.
Reach Kelli at 330-580-8339 or [email protected].
On Twitter: @kweirREP
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