Schools will get casino revenue input

School officials trying to pass renewal levies fear voters will be misled.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
LORDSTOWN -- The Lordstown school district now is part of a panel to decide how local casino revenue would be split, but this doesn't mean money to the schools is a sure bet.
"This seat doesn't guarantee anything," board of education member Cheryl Kistler said Thursday.
Village council amended its agreement this week with the Eastern Shawnee Tribe to give the school district a seat on the four-member local casino board.
Schools Superintendent Doug Shamp said he anticipates that the school board will accept the seat at its meeting Oct. 19.
Casino resort
The tribe is proposing to construct a Las Vegas-style casino resort on land in Lordstown in Trumbull County and Jackson Township in Mahoning County.
Under the agreement, net revenue from the slot machines estimated at $4 million annually would go to the local government.
The school district, however, didn't have a representative on the panel until Monday's agreement amendment.
School board member Timothy Rech said Mayor Michael A. Chaffee, a teacher, told him the district would have been represented on the panel regardless of council's action.
Votes to come
Just because the district has a seat, Kistler said, doesn't mean the district representative won't get outvoted if the time comes to distribute money.
Casino gambling is illegal in Ohio. State law must be changed to allow it, and Gov. Bob Taft's administration opposes such gaming. A casino in Lordstown is still in the distant future.
Also, Lordstown voters are being asked next month to approve or disapprove the agreement between the village and tribe.
If the agreement is overturned, a better agreement with the local government could result in a higher percentage of revenue for Lordstown. It also means the tribe could back away from the proposal, leaving no revenue to share.
Emerged from emergency
Kistler, a retired teacher, pointed out the district emerged from fiscal emergency in 2004. "We've worked so hard to get our heads above water," she said.
Although the district is able to pay its bills, Kistler said, it's unable to finance any large capital improvements.
One of the reasons, she said, is because of the tax abatements given to businesses that temporarily reduce taxes to the schools.
Kistler said she is concerned that the public may get the wrong impression that two renewal levies on the Nov. 8 general election ballot aren't needed now, because of the casino panel seat.
Voters are being asked to approve a five-year 5.7-mill renewal to generate $770,000 annually and a five-year 6.2-mill issue that brings in $841,327 annually.
Kistler said there might be possible "backlash" by voters.
"It's essential to pass them," Rech said of the levies.
He said the casino is "still very much a long shot" and the renewal levies are needed.
Shamp agrees with Rech and Kistler that the district may not get a portion of the revenue, even if the casino is built.
The superintendent said he hopes voters don't view the seat on the panel as some sort "bailout" of the schools.
yovich@vindy.com