Voters send stern warning about money for education

All the school levies in Trumbull County that sought additional revenue went down to defeat in Tuesday’s primary election, but none more dramatically than the one in Liberty Township.

The 9.9-mill additional tax that would have been in effect for 10 years was rejected so overwhelmingly school district officials must now figure out whether the no vote was a reflection of the current national economic turmoil or something deeper.

Despite an anticipated $1.8 million operating budget deficit, 2,211 Liberty School District residents voted against the measure; 439 voted for it.

The 9.9 mills would have generated $2,291,362 annually for emergency requirements.

Superintendent Mark Lucas said cost-cutting measures will have to be implemented, including the possibility of staff reductions and busing changes.

The district already has slashed spending by $400,000 this year, and the administration has already agreed to a pay freeze for next school year.

But Liberty property taxpayers obviously believe there’s more fat in the operating budget that can be trimmed.

Or else, they believe that having the state declare the system to be in fiscal caution or fiscal emergency is a good thing.

We would suggest that residents closely study what has been taking place in Youngstown since the state declared the system to be in fiscal emergency.

Having a state fiscal oversight commission controlling the purse strings isn’t necessarily the best thing for a school system. Why? Because the opinions or desires of administrators, including the superintendent, teachers, school board members, parents and students matter not a whit.

The commission is only concerned about developing a spending plan that ensures a balanced budget.

Disagreeable voters

But it wasn’t just the residents of Liberty who were in a disagreeable mood Tuesday. In, the Newton Falls, Southington and Weathersfield school districts, additional levies were rejected.

It is revealing that even the prospect of securing $11.4 million from the state for a school construction project failed to sway the voters in Weathersfield.

They turned thumbs down on a 6.4-mill bond issue and a 1.6-mill levy to finance the district’s share. The bond issue would have generated $8.4 million over 28 years and the levy $131,739 annually. The money would have been used for the construction of an addition to Seaborn Elementary School, so as to accommodate students from kindergarten through 8th grade.

To add to the mystery of the voter’s mind, a renewal levy in Trumbull County was rejected: In the Bristol district, a 4.7-mill, five-year issue to pay for emergency needs was turned down by 56 percent of those who voted Tuesday.

The other renewal, a 5-mill, five-year for Maplewood schools, passed by a vote of 278 to 211.

In Mahoning County, the defeat of a 4.6-mill renewal levy for the Western Reserve School District must have officials wondering what happened.

Other renewals on the ballot passed.

What’s the message from the primary? It’s that school districts can no longer count on additional revenue from property taxpayers, and if the economy does not rebound quickly, even renewals will be iffy propositions.

There also is a message for the governor and state legislators: Change the system of funding primary and secondary education in Ohio so property taxes aren’t the main source of revenue for schools.