Toledo school board panel recommends May 7 levy vote
1/18/2013The Toledo Board of Education's finance committee today voted to recommend to the full board that a special election be held May 7 for the renewal of the district's operating levy.
Committee members were presented with several options for possible levy requests this year, including ballot questions in May, August, or during the November general election, or for going for a new levy, a replacement level, or a renewal and new money levy at the same time.
The district's current operating levy is a 6.5 mill, five-year renewal levy that generates about $13 million a year.
The move comes just months after voters rejected a new 4.9-mill, 10-year levy that would have generated $13.3 million annually. Because Toledo Public Schools' budget is balanced through this year, there are no plans for immediate cuts because of the levy failure, but future deficits could force significant budget reductions.
The renewal levy runs out at the end of the calendar year.
If TPS cannot convince voters to renew that levy, immediate cuts would likely result, officials said. The full board meets Tuesday and will vote on what type of levy to place on the ballot and when.