Support the schools and those less fortunate

In Mahoning County, only three school districts and the Board of Mental Retardation and Developmental Disabilities have levies on the November ballot. Each is worthy of support.
If Austintown voters approve a 3.9-mill bond issue, they'll be able to build a new junior high school, renovate and add on to Frank Ohl Middle School and realign the grades to bring all students in fourth through 12th grades onto one large campus to be shared with the new public library and community fitness center.
New school: The current junior high was built in 1916 as the Austintown Centralized School. It replaced 12 one-room school houses as residents looked forward to a school that would take them into the 20th century. Now history, in a way, is repeating itself as the new school plan enables the district to advance into the 21st century.
This measure is important for Austintown, and we encourage residents to vote for it.
In the Boardman School District, voters are being asked to approve a 1.7-mill three-year levy for the emergency requirements of the schools. The levy, which was first passed by voters in 1984 at 3.7 mills, is less than half that now as the community's property values have expanded. The Boardman schools are well run, and voters should have no qualms about continuing the funding of their educational system.
The Western Reserve School District also has a renewal levy on the ballot, this at the rate of 4.95 mills for five years for operational costs. As one of the better districts in the county, as evidenced by the Ohio Board of Education report card, the school district has earned the confidence of residents.
The MRDD levy generates the funds needed to provide services to mentally retarded and developmentally disabled citizens of Mahoning County. Originally passed by voters in 1992, the 2-mill renewal levy is a necessity for those in need.