Springfield, Genoa say no
5/5/2010Springfield Superintendent Kathryn Hott said the school board wanted to give the community a choice, knowing it was a bad time economically to ask for a new tax.
"Obviously, we're disappointed and concerned about what it means for our students and our community for the 2010-11 school year," Mrs. Hott said.
The levy, intended to generate $2.8 million annually for five years, would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home $119 a year.
Before the start of this school year, the school board slashed $600,000 from its operating budget and then, in February, approved another $1.6 million in cuts for next school year.
"Failure of the levy will require us to cut another $1.5 million, and we've already made about $2 million in permanent cuts so we're going to face $3 million in cuts for the start of the school year. It's going to have a significant impact on the district," Mrs. Hott said.
Genoa Area Local Schools also were unsuccessful at the polls last night.
By a 2-to-1 margin, voters there defeated a 1 percent earned income tax intended to generate $1.5 million a year for five years. School officials had promised that if the income tax was approved, they would allow an existing 5-mill operating levy to expire at the end of 2012 and would cut student fees and give all students free passes to home athletic events.
In the Woodmore local school district, which straddles Ottawa and Sandusky counties, voters rejected by a slim margin a 2.99-mill, five-year operating levy that was touted as costing voters less.
The levy, which would have generated $450,000 annually, was to replace a 4-mill levy that is to expire at the end of the year.
In Wood County, voters in the Bowling Green City Schools agreed to renew a 4.2-mill, five-year operating levy that generates about $2.5 million a year.
Eastwood voters also renewed a 4.3-mill, five-year operating levy.
In North Baltimore, voters appeared to approve replacement of an 8.9-mill operating levy with a continuing levy of the same millage, but the levy passed by just three votes in unofficial results.
McComb Local Schools, which are in Wood and Hancock counties, renewed a 3.36-mill, five-year permanent improvement levy.
Contact Jennifer Feehan at:
jfeehan@theblade.com
or 419-724-6129.