SCHOOLS Panel urges passage of levy

The district has lost $600,000 from pupils leaving the district.
NILES -- The city school district's levy committee made a pitch to residents Thursday for passage of a 4.8-mill levy on the Feb. 8 ballot to prevent the district from being placed under state fiscal emergency.
The information session was the first of several meetings to be held to discuss the upcoming levy.
Schools Superintendent Rocco Adduci said it was crucial that the five-year emergency levy be approved, adding, "If this levy doesn't pass -- we don't have a second chance."
Members of the levy committee are Adduci; Nick Limongi, school district finance director; Mike Lastic, levy chairman; and Al Guarnieri, treasurer.
The committee stressed that Niles has one of the lowest tax rates in Trumbull County. The district is facing a $999,000 deficit by the end of the 2004-05 school year and as much as $8.74 million by the end of 2007-08.
The district lost $600,000 in state funding this year as the result of pupils leaving the district. In addition, the district had to borrow $800,000 in July to meet payroll.
The levy would generate $1.3 million a year.
Actions taken
Committee members noted that the district has taken the following actions to deal with its financial problems:
*Increased instructional fees for the elementary, middle and high schools.
*Eliminated paying for field trips.
*Reduced staff through retirements.
*Consolidated health benefits with higher co-pays for prescriptions.
*Reduced overtime.
*Closed one elementary building.
School leaders had received letters from the Ohio Department of Education asking the district to submit a financial recovery plan by Oct. 31 showing how the schools will avoid the anticipated deficit at the end of the school year.
The levy is part of that recovery plan.
The next levy meeting will be at 7 p.m. Jan. 6 at the Niles Middle School cafeteria.