Bowling Green school renewal levy to be on ballot

2/23/2010

BOWLING GREEN - Voters in the Bowling Green City Schools district will be asked in May to renew a 4.2-mill operating levy that generates some $2.5 million a year.

The school board last week agreed to put the levy on the May 4 ballot. Treasurer Rhonda Melchi said the levy is collected at 3.7 mills and still would be collected at that level if the levy is renewed for five years.

School board members said they did not want to threaten voters with budget reductions if the levy fails but want to tell them what likely would be cut if the measure is not renewed.

Superintendent Hugh Caumartin said staff is the most likely place to cut when $2.5 million must be slashed from a $30 million budget.

"As I like to say, 85 percent of our assets get in the car and drive home every night," Mr. Caumartin said. "The only way to make those kinds of cuts is to reduce staff, and mostly certificated teachers, and then you're talking about increased class sizes and a reduction of class offerings at the middle school and high school."