School districts ask for and merit voter support

These are tough times to try to convince people to raise taxes.
But they are also tough times to try to run something as important as, say, a modern, well-performing school district on yesterday's income.
And so, even as school board members know that many of their constituents are averse to tax increase, some have felt compelled to ask their voters to increase taxes. Others are seeking renewals, which, obviously, are vital, since providing the necessities of a modern school district can't be accomplished if local support is cut at a time when when costs are going up and state support is being tightened.
For those reasons, we once again give our support to local school levies. But with our endorsement comes a caveat. It is the responsibility of school boards and school administrators to convince voters that the need for additional funding is real and that the amount sought is reasonable.
Most voters who have children in school and some with grandchildren are familiar with what's being done to educate their children and grandchildren. Others must be convinced that an increase in taxes is justified on moral grounds -- we all have an interest in educating the next generation -- and on practical grounds -- property values are highest in well-performing school districts.
That said, we endorse these local school issues:
Mahoning County
South Range Local School District: 5.75-mill additional, five-year levy to raise $425,000 a year.
Western Reserve Local School District: 6.9-mill additional five-year emergency levy to raise $921,425 a year.
Canfield Local School District: 6.9-mill renewal levy for a continuing period for current expenses to raise $2.46 million annually.
Poland Local School District: 3.2-mill, five-year renewal levy for emergency expenses to raise $1,068,055 annually.
Jackson-Milton Local School District: voters will consider a 2.8-mill, five-year renewal levy for emergency expenses to raise $383,088 annually.
Voters in the Springfield Local School District are being asked approve a five-year continuation of a 1 percent income tax that raises about $1.15 million annually. The Vindicator does not specifically endorse school income tax issues because of long standing differences with the legislation that empowered school income tax issues. Some districts, however, are convinced that an income tax is the most fair way to support schools in their communities, and for them, that may be true.
Trumbull County
Bristol Local School District: 7.9-mill, five-year additional levy would generate about $560,000 annually.
Joseph Badger Local School District: 5.5-mill, five-year renewal levy for emergency expenses.
LaBrae Local School District: 3-mill, five-year renewal levy to remodel and equip school buildings.
Lakeview Local School District: 4.5-mill additional levy for five years, which would generate about $1,145,245 annually.
Liberty Local School District: 7.9-mill additional levy for five years to generate about $1.79 million annually. Also a 0.9-mill, five-year renewal levy for remodeling or equipping school facilities.
Girard City School District: 7.4-mill additional operating levy that would generate more than $1 million annually.
Newton Falls Exempted Village School District: 5.2-mill additional levy that will raise about $590,000 in each of five years.
Brookfield Local School District: 4-mill additional levy for current expenses.