TRUMBULL COUNTY Several school districts promote levies to voters

Some of the districts sought the levies in the August special and March primary elections.
By DENISE DICK
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
CHAMPION -- Trumbull Career and Technical Center is asking voters in 19 school districts to renew 2.4-mill levy for another 10 years -- one of 10 county districts asking for money in November.
The TCTC levy was originally passed when the center formed in the late 1970s, at 2.4 mills. A replacement, allowing collection to continue at 2.4 mills, passed 10 years ago. The levy generates about half of the center's budget. For 2004, the levy, which is being collected at about 2 mills, brought in $5,845,860.
Voters are being asked to renew the levy, allowing it to continue to be collected at the same rate.
"It's been the same amount since the school was established and the first class was in 1978," said Superintendent Wayne McClain. "That's almost 30 years."
The property tax applies to residents and businesses in all of the county's school districts except Howland, which sends students to the Ashtabula County Joint Vocational School.
Previous attempts
For the Bristol, Lakeview, LaBrae, Liberty and Weathersfield districts, this isn't the first time this year that district officials have asked voters to pass a levy. Voters in each of those districts rejected levies on an August special election ballot. Bristol and Weathersfield voters also rejected previous levy attempts.
Weathersfield is seeking a five-year, 5.5-mill levy. Michael Hanshaw, Weathersfield superintendent, said the levy would generate $538,168 annually. It's the same millage rejected by voters in the August special election.
"We need the levy so we can continue the academic excellence our schools are have been known for," Hanshaw said.
The community is built around the schools, Hanshaw said, pointing to the number of people who attend school sporting events who don't have kids in school.
"If we didn't have the schools, the community would be nothing," he said.
District's cuts
Weathersfield has already cut about $900,000 from its personnel budget by not replacing staff who have retired or taken other jobs. Busing has been cut to the minimum required by the state and employees agreed to changes in the health care plan to save money.
"There's not much more we can cut," Hanshaw said.
The district took a hit in 2002 when RMI Titanium changed its accounting methods, reducing the personal property taxes it pays to the district by about $620,000.
The company also has asked the state department of taxation for a refund of its 2000 and 2001 personal property taxes which would mean a loss of another $600,000-plus.
Not knowing whether that refund will be granted makes planning for the district difficult, Hanshaw said.
Lakeview voters will see two levies on the November ballot. One is a five-year, 4.5-mill levy which would bring in about $1.145 million a year and the other is a five-year, 3.4-mill renewal which generates about $890,000 annually.
Lakeview board members have already voted to reduce busing to the state minimum in January if the renewal levy fails.
Without the new levy, the district will implement a "very expensive" pay-to-participate plan for student extracurricular activities, said Superintendent Matthew Chojnacki.
Liberty schools are asking voters to approve a five-year, 7.9-mill levy which would generate $1.8 million. It's the same levy rejected by voters in March and August.
"Our message is that to have a strong community you need strong schools," said Superintendent Larry Prince. "Strong communities and strong schools go hand in hand."
Later levy
If the levy doesn't pass this time, the earliest the district would be able to collect if a later levy would pass would be 2006, he said.
The district has already adopted open enrollment and implemented cost-cutting measures.
"Once that spiral of decline starts, it's very, very difficult to pull out of it," Prince said.
He also pointed to the state funding system for education as contributing to the problem.
Bristol, which has been in state-declared fiscal emergency for about a year, is asking voters to approve a five-year, 5.5-mill levy.
Brookfield is seeking an additional 4 mills.
Howland wants voters to renew a five-year, 4.3-mill levy and LaBrae is asking for renewal of a five-year, 3-mill levy.
In Newton Falls, voters are being asked to approve a five-year, 5.2-mill levy.
Southington voters will be asked to renew a three-year, 3.7-mill levy.
denise_dick@vindy.com