4 school districts try again for levies

Most of the school measures up for reconsideration in February were narrowly rejected by voters earlier this month.
By DAVID SKOLNICK
VINDICATOR POLITICS WRITER
BOARDMAN -- Voters in the four Mahoning Valley school districts who rejected tax increases earlier this month will be asked to fund the school systems again in February.
Four school districts -- Boardman, Poland, Jackson-Milton and Joseph Badger -- filed the necessary paperwork with local boards of elections to have their tax measures placed on the Feb. 4 special election ballot.
Boardman residents will see two levies on the February ballot. They are:
* A 5.9-mill, five-year additional levy, which failed 8,001 to 7,698 on the Nov. 5 ballot.
* A 1.6-mill, five-year renewal levy for permanent improvements, which was not on the ballot earlier this month.
Without additional revenue, the school district is expected to be $1.1 million in debt by the end of the 2003-04 school year. School officials say without additional money, cuts would likely be made in some programs.
Residents of the Poland school district will vote on a 6.9-mill, five-year emergency operating levy in February. Residents rejected a 3.9-mill levy earlier this month 3,342 to 3,306.
Explanation
Poland school officials say the millage increased because the district has to make up the money that would have been generated by the defeated levy, as well as what is needed to eliminate the district's debt.
The district is expected to be $228,113 in debt by June 30, which would jump to $1.3 million the next year if the 6.9-mill levy fails.
Jackson-Milton school district residents will cast ballots Feb. 4 on two renewal levies they rejected less than three weeks ago.
The 7.3-mill, five-year emergency renewal levy, raising $988,485 annually for the district, was rejected Nov. 5 by 1,225 to 1,036. The 0.9-mill, five-year emergency renewal levy that raises $75,329 annually lost 1,176 to 1,105 earlier this month.
School officials say the district would be nearly $4 million in debt by the 2007-08 school year if the renewal levies are rejected.
Residents of the Joseph Badger Local School District will be asked again to approve a measure to pay the local share of building and maintaining a central school, and making renovations and improvements to school facilities. This issue failed during the Nov. 5 election 1,494 to 1,383.
The proposal calls for residents to pay 4.6 mills over 28 years for a $7.87 million bond issue for a new high school, a 0.5-mill levy to pay for maintenance of the building, and a 1.3-mill, 28-year bond issue to raise $2.28 million for renovations and improvements of school facilities.
skolnick@vindy.com