Boccieri asks state to forgive loans

YOUNGSTOWN — State Sen. John Boccieri ,of Alliance, D-33rd, said he has written a letter to Gov. Ted Strickland supporting the Youngstown Board of Education’s request for forgiveness of its state solvency loans.

The city school district has had to borrow more than $25 million from the state over the past two years to balance its general fund budget and repaid $7.5 million of that debt last year, leaving nearly $18 million still owed. A big chunk of that, $13.2 million, is to be repaid this fiscal year.

The school board sent a letter to the governor in July asking that all or part of the $18 million be forgiven.

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