Lake Local to ask for levy
8/10/2011The Lake Local Schools Board of Education Tuesday voted to place a five-year, 4.75-mill operating levy on the Nov. 8 ballot.
The levy would generate an estimated $1.1 million annually, equal to the amount of federal and state funding cuts for this fiscal year, said Lake Treasurer Jeff Carpenter.
The owner of a house valued at $100,000 would pay $145 per year if the levy is approved. The levy would bring in the first new operating dollars since 2006 for the district.
On Aug. 3, the school board agreed to ask the Wood County auditor to certify figures, the first of two steps for the levy request. The 3-0 vote Tuesday by board members Tim Krugh, Brad Delventhal, and Eric Hirzel was to proceed with the issue to the ballot.
During a special election last week voters in the Lake district, situated in Wood and Ottawa counties, rejected a continuing, 4.75-mill operating levy that would have generated $1.1 million a year to offset declining revenue.
Kickoff for a campaign for the Nov. 8 levy is expected to get under way in the coming weeks, said Mr. Carpenter who anticipates a much broader, intensive campaign to get the word out across the community about the ballot request in an effort to garner support for a yes vote.
The district cannot lose $1.1 million in funding without some serious repercussions to education, Mr. Carpenter said.
A levy campaign was conducted ahead of the special election, but school officials are hearing that some people were unaware that the district had an issue on the Aug. 2 ballot.
Lake's operating levy request is unrelated to the rebuilding of the high school.
Operating funds cannot be used to construct the district's $25.5 million high school, which will replace the one destroyed by a June, 2010, tornado.
Cost to rebuild the high school is covered by funds from an insurance settlement and from the Ohio School Facilities Commission.