School board stresses need for levy renewals

A teacher wanted to know what the board will cut if levies fail.
By JEANNE STARMACK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
AUSTINTOWN -- The Austintown school board had the last of its community meetings Wednesday to take questions about the renewal levies on the May 2 ballot.
The meetings were an effort to get word out that the 4.9- and 7.3-mill renewals will not raise taxes, and the school district is facing cuts in personnel and services without them.
The last meeting drew about 30 people to the Fitch High School media center, where board members touted the improvements the district has made over the last 10 years, from math and reading skills to the Fitch graduation rate.
Board member Traci Morse Merlo said the graduation rate has risen from 85 percent in the late 1990s to 97 percent in 2005.
The board pointed out that even though there has been growth in Austintown, that doesn't mean the district can collect more tax revenues than the levies generated when they passed in 1991 and again in 1996. Because of state law, the district collects the same amount of revenue.
Growth reduces the amount of taxes paid by individuals as more property owners arrive to share in paying the tax, explained board member Dr. David Ritchie.
Ritchie also said that even though the state has increased financial support, that increase has been less than the annual rate of inflation.
More services needed
Board member Joyce Pogany said that the No Child Left Behind Act requires additional services for special education, but schools can't charge for those services.
Jim Murphy, a Fitch science teacher, wanted to know what cuts the board has planned if the levies fail. "Are we looking at busing? Sports? Courses?"
The board says it wants to make cuts according to what will have the least amount of impact on academics.
Superintendent Doug Heuer said there are too many variables right now to decide on specific cuts.
He said cuts would depend on whether both levies fail, or if one passes and one does not. He said the district is still negotiating over health insurance, and the outcome of the negotiations could mean a significant savings. He said the district's becoming a recruiter for the Virtual School of Ohio also will raise revenue.
The district has notified 70 employees, including eight teachers, that their jobs will be cut if the levies fail. School officials said state law required the notification before April 30.