Youngstown schools inch closer to levy passage, but more must be done

Youngstown schools inch closer to levy passage, but more must be done

Nearly twice as many people voted on the Youngstown City School District levy this week as voted in November, but the result was the same. The levy was defeated.

Granted, the margin of defeat was more narrow. In November, the levy was rejected by about 1,800 votes, 6,455 to 4,603, or 58 percent to 42 percent. Tuesday, the issue was defeated by 11,312 to 10,233, or 52.5 to 47.5 percent.

Still, it is difficult for supporters of the levy to take much solace in that narrowing of numbers. For the levy to pass, 540 voters who voted against the issue would have had to change their votes. And even a one-vote margin of defeat has the same effect as a landslide: The additional taxes cannot be collected. Further, the heavy turnout for a spirited Democratic primary race probably worked to the school district’s advantage, and might not be duplicated, even in the general election.

Falling short

All of which means the Youngstown Board of Education has a lot more work to do to convince Youngstown voters that everything possible is being done to reduce costs and that taxpayer money is being spent wisely.

The district was the recipient of unfortunate and unflattering publicity due to some student misbehavior its high schools. There are those who can claim that such publicity or the unfavorable public reaction to it is unfair, especially to the majority of students who apply themselves to their studies and behave. But public perceptions affect reality.

There are also many taxpayers, and even some school board members, who question whether enough cuts have been made. And, doubtless, there are thousands of Youngstown residents who do not realize what a bargain district taxpayers are getting because of the disproportionately high state subsidy that the district receives.

A good idea

One critic of the district had what might be the best suggestion for convincing local taxpayers that additional local millage should be approved. She suggested that the state oversight commission hold at least some of its meetings in the evening, when residents could attend. Meetings are now held monthly at 11 a.m.

A few evening sessions of the commission with some type of question-and-answer format wouldn‘t convince every taxpayer that, as has often been said, the district cannot cut its way to a balanced budget. But such open sessions could change enough minds to finally get a majority vote on the issue.

Thousands of those who voted against the levy on Tuesday did so because they truly cannot afford another dollar of tax or because they believe that the school district and its students do not deserve another dollar. Nothing the board or the oversight committee can say or do will persuade the first category of voters to vote yes. But the second category could change their minds — and their votes — if presented with cold, hard facts. Those facts would come not from the board, but from the oversight commission, which has no axes to grind and nobody to protect. Its only goal is to get the budget back in balance so that the commission can be dissolved.

Hundreds of jobs have been cut, salaries have been frozen and health care copayments have been instituted. In many cities, that would be enough. Obviously not here.

The board and the oversight commission are going to have to make more cuts and then convince a majority of the voters that every nook and cranny in the budget has been examined for every dollar that can be saved.