CANFIELD Trustees back school levy

The school board is expected to pass two budgets for next year at tonight's meeting.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
CANFIELD -- The township trustees have passed a resolution supporting the 6.9-mill, five-year school operating levy that will appear on the ballot here in May.
According to the resolution, which was approved by a 2-0 vote with one abstention Monday night, the trustees believe that a "tradition of excellence can be maintained by supporting the school levy." Trustee William Reese called the Canfield schools a "major asset for our community."
Reese noted that his son, a Canfield graduate, went to college at Harvard. He was the only member of his class of 1,600 at Harvard who hadn't attended prep school, Reese said.
"That's basically because Canfield gave him a good education," he said.
Trustee Paul Moracco also voted for the resolution, while Trustee Judy Bayus, a former teacher in Austintown, abstained. When asked why she decided not to vote, Bayus cited "executive privilege." She did not comment further.
Greg Pauley, the co-chair of the committee working to pass the levy, praised and thanked the trustees for their support.
"I think the trustees see an inherent value to the township in maintaining the schools," he said.
Scenarios: If it is passed, the levy would create about $3 million in operating revenue for the district. School officials said that without the levy, the district could be in debt next year.
State officials would then take control of district finances until the district was no longer in debt. To prepare for the failure of the levy, the state requires the board to pass a budget for next year that does not include levy revenue.
The board is expected to approve that budget, as well as a budget that includes money from the levy, at a meeting at 8 tonight at its office. As of this morning, the meeting had not been canceled even though the schools were closed.
Opposition: Pauley said many township residents have voiced support for the levy. School officials, meanwhile, said they had spoken to several local residents who didn't support the levy.
Pauley said that he thinks some residents are opposing the levy because they have other conflicts with school officials.
"When we've been able to filter through the noise, it usually comes down to a personal agenda," he said.
Levy committee co-chair John Morvay said residents with questions about the levy should attend the committee's public meeting in April.
Board projections show that an additional $1.3 million is needed to pay district expenses during the first six months of 2003. District operations are paid for with state money and a $6.9-mill, five-year operating levy that was passed in 1994 and renewed in 1999. About $2.2 million is collected through the levy each year.
The district has a $19.5 million general fund budget this year.
hill@vindy.com