MAHONING COUNTY Levies are key to keeping top ranking, districts say

In South Range, employees took a cut in health-care benefits.
By JoANNE VIVIANO
VINDICATOR EDUCATION WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Superintendents of two of Mahoning County's highest-performing districts say they fear their "excellent" designations could be in jeopardy if their financial situations do not improve.
Both the South Range and Western Reserve local school districts earned excellent marks, the highest available, on August report cards issued by the state Department of Education, based primarily on proficiency-test scores.
Both superintendents say they need voters to approve tax levies in March for current programs to continue.
Coping with mandates
The problem, they say, is that state legislators have cut funding from state coffers, forcing local taxpayers to pick up the slack. The cuts have come even as required federal mandates have increased, South Range Superintendent James A. Hall said.
"The state of Ohio is not taking the position that they have to enhance the money they contribute," he said. "If, locally, people also say no to us, what do we do?"
Western Reserve Superintendent Charles W. Swindler said voters in his district have said they turned down a November levy to "send a message" to state legislators; however, such a vote comes at a cost.
"We're doing our responsibility as local taxpayers. The state ... needs to correct the funding problem," he said. "But communities have to step in, or we'll lose part of what we've worked so hard to get."
In the South Range district, officials are looking at a deficit of about $747,000 by the end of June 2006.
Western Reserve officials project a $525,000 deficit by 2005.
To make up the loss, South Range is asking voters to pass a 6.9-mill, five-year emergency levy to raise $921,425 a year.
Western Reserve district voters are being asked to approve a 5.75-mill, five-year levy to raise $425,000 a year.
They are among six Mahoning County districts with tax proposals on the March ballot and the only districts in the county asking for new levies.
Renewal measures
In Canfield, voters will consider a 6.9-mill renewal levy for a continuing period for current expenses to raise $2.46 million annually. Poland seeks a 3.2-mill, five-year renewal levy for emergency expenses to raise $1,068,055 annually.
Jackson-Milton voters will consider a 2.8-mill, five-year renewal levy for emergency expenses to raise $383,088 annually.
Voters in the Springfield district are being asked to consider continuing a 1 percent income tax for five years for current expenses to raise about $1.15 million annually.
Rejected proposal
In Western Reserve, voters rejected a 4-mill proposal in November by 98 votes. It was the first time since 1992 that the district had asked for new money, and the second time in school history that voters turned down a levy, Swindler said.
He said the district has been frugal, but it has not been enough to offset the state cuts.
"We're one of 85 excellent schools out of the 612 [in Ohio], and yet we're running at 21 percent below the average cost per student," he said. "It was the state cuts in funding, not what we're doing."
Across the state, the average amount spent per pupil is $8,441, Swindler said. In Western Reserve, the cost per pupil is $6,952.
Mahoning County's average is $7,876 per pupil, he added.
The district's efficient success prompted state Superintendent Susan Tave Zelman to visit the district earlier this month, Swindler said. He said her message to him was that the state is not going to step in.
Potential for cuts
If local taxpayers don't say yes in March, the district would be forced to review various nonmandated programs, such as art, music, physical education and home economics. He said additional programs that have "made such a difference" by helping pupils perform well on proficiency tests -- such as tutoring and all-day kindergarten -- would also face review.
In South Range, Superintendent James A. Hall said the district has spent less on materials and supplies and postponed buying a new bus. Further, all employees took a cut in health-care benefits that will save the district $320,000 over two years.
The district spends $7,229 per pupil, less than both the state and county averages.
Turning to voters came in an effort to sustain current programs, he said.
Hall said he, too, has concerns that programs that have helped children succeed on proficiency exams will be adversely affected if the levy does not pass.