After school issue losses, officials in Austintown, Liberty regroup

STAFF REPORT

AUSTINTOWN — Most Mahoning County residents voting Tuesday said education is worth every penny, even in a tough economy.

Three of the four proposed school finance issues in the county — Western Reserve, Jackson-Milton and Canfield — passed. The only issue defeated was a 2.9-mill, 37-year bond issue to replace facilities within the Austintown district.

“It’s unfortunate,” said Austintown Superintendent Vincent Colaluca. “That $23 million from the state would’ve been a nice piece to get for this project.”

Had the bond issue passed, the Ohio School Facilities Commission would have given the school district $23 million, or 47 percent of the total cost of a $50 million expansion project to replace current buildings.

“The community told us something, and now we have to evaluate our plan,” Colaluca said.

The superintendent added he and the board will continue to promote the plan, which can be passed as late as next November.

“We have one year to pass it, according the Ohio School Facility Commission,” Colaluca said. “One of the things our campaign committee is going to do is get together and debrief everything we’ve done. We have to evaluate our process and see what we could’ve done differently.”

Colaluca said he hopes voters understand the opportunity being presented to the district. But he also said he is aware some of the voters said no out of necessity.

“If someone has to buy a loaf of bread or vote for our bond issue, it’s an easy decision to understand because of the economic times,” he said.

In Trumbull County, Joe Nohra, the top vote-getter in Liberty’s school board race Tuesday, said one of his priorities as a new board member will be to spend time with Liberty residents discussing issues.

Foremost will be to explain how the district found itself with a $1 million deficit.

“Obviously there’s a disconnect in the community right now,” said Nohra, who is assistant principal at Austintown Fitch High School. “We need to get out there and explain things better to community.”

The board of education will have to address its shortfall without the benefit of the $2.3 million in additional money per year it sought from voters on Tuesday. Voters said no Tuesday to a 9.9-mill, 10-year additional levy.

It’s the second time voters said no to the levy, rejected it by 83 percent in May. This time it failed by 74 percent.

The district cut about $1 million from its budget last year and this year.