GIRARD SCHOOLS Citizens: Distrust hurt levy

The superintendent said an honest mistake was made in calculating legal fees in campaign literature.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
GIRARD -- The leaders of a citizens group say a school levy on last week's general election ballot was defeated, along with a veteran school board member, because the board lacks trust.
"It's well understood that the people in this town just do not trust the board of education," said Cathy Ross and Julie Tammaro, leaders of the Girard Concerned Citizens group.
Voters rejected a 5.9-mill continuing operating levy by 328 votes of a total 3,016 cast.
Jane Harris, who has served on the board for more than 20 years, drew the least number of votes of four candidates in the race. Two newcomers -- Myron Esposito and Phil Fisher -- were the highest recipients of votes with 2,022 and 1,728 votes, respectively.
Ross said that if another candidate had been in the race, Jamie DeVore would have lost his re-election bid, too.
"It's a shame that the children and teachers of Girard will soon be suffering because our operating levy didn't pass," Ross said.
Controversial figures
Ross and Tammaro contend the levy committee was less than candid with voters in its campaign material.
That literature pointed out that $78,300 was spent on legal fees concerning health issues at the intermediate school. The citizens group places the amount at about $130,000 so far.
Superintendent Marty Santillo said an "honest mistake" was made in calculating the legal fees. He explained the bills from the first of two lawyers who have worked on the intermediate-school issue were not included in the total.
Legal fees directly and indirectly attributed to the intermediate-building issue now stand at $115,000, Santillo said.
"There is no reason to play with the numbers," the superintendent said.
One of the campaign letters reports that it has been 15 years since the district has asked for additional new money.
Ross and Tammaro disagreed, pointing out voters approved a bond issue in 1998 to build the intermediate building.
Santillo said he couldn't recall the exact language on the literature, but he said voters know they approved the 1998 construction bond issue.
The group leaders also questioned the need for an assistant superintendent in a school district with only two buildings.
'Heartbreaking'
Harris said the district will again place the levy before voters. She said it may be a request for more than the 5.9 mills that was turned down because of increased expenses.
"We have to have money to operate," Harris said. "It's discouraging."
She called her own loss "heartbreaking."
Harris explained she has been involved in Girard schools for more than 30 years, attending functions when no one else showed up.
"It didn't mean anything," she said.
Harris said publication of her age of 80 didn't help her campaign.
"They didn't know who they voted for," she added in pointing out Esposito and Fisher are newcomers to the school board.
"Maybe it was just anti-incumbent" sentiment, she said.
yovich@vindy.com