Schools are an investment in children and community

Schools are an investment in children and community

We write a version of this editorial twice a year, and while it is never easy, it becomes more difficult every year that the economy remains in stagnation and families struggle with their own budgets.

Still, it is important to remember that spending today on education is an investment in the future. It is an investment that past generations have made for the betterment of all, and that when we stop investing in education, we stop believing in the future.

That said, we recognize that these are difficult times. And, we believe, that the elected members of local boards of education recognize that as well. They take their responsibility to their community seriously and they do not approach their constituents lightly when asking for passage of a school levy.

School tax issues come in four basic flavors, if you will.

UAdditional levies, which will result in an increase of the full millage being sought.

URenewal levies, which may actually be less than the face value, because as the cumulative valuation of a district increases over the years, the effective rate for collection purposes is recalculated.

UReplacement levies, which generally represent at least a slight increase in taxation because the full face amount is collected, negating the diminishing effect that new construction or higher valuations may have had on the effective rate.

UBond issues, that allow the sale of bonds to raise lump sums for capital improvements and that are repaid over a period of years or decades.

These days, bond issues for building new schools are particularly attractive investments for most local school districts in Ohio, because for every dollar pledged locally, nearly a dollar and sometimes more is provided by the state.

In Austintown, the district is billing its building program as buy one, get one free, because local taxpayers will put up 53 percent of the cost of new construction while the state will pay 47 percent.

There are four taxation issues for schools in Mahoning County and nine in Trumbull County.

Mahoning

AUSTINTOWN SCHOOLS: A 2.4-mill, 37-year bond issue and a 0.5-mill, 37-year additional levy to make building improvements to raise $26,682,099.

CANFIELD SCHOOLS: A 1-mill replacement levy for a continuous period of time for permanent improvements to raise $560,811 annually.

JACKSON-MILTON SCHOOLS: A 2.1-mill, 5-year renewal levy to avoid an operating deficit to raise $383,088 annually.

WESTERN RESERVE SCHOOLS: A 4.6-mill, 10-year renewal levy for emergency purposes to raise $425,000 annually.

Trumbull

BLOOMFIELD-MESPO SCHOOLS: A 3.4-mill, 5-year renewal for emergency requirements of the district, to raise $170,000 annually.

HOWLAND SCHOOLS: A 3.9-mill, 5-year renewal to avoid an operating deficit, to raise $2.5 million annually.

LAKEVIEW SCHOOLS: A 3.75-mill, 5-year additional levy to provide for emergency requirements of the school district to raise $1,050,000 annually.

LIBERTY SCHOOLS: A 9.9-mill, 10-year additional levy for emergency requirements of the school district to raise $2,291,362 annually.

MATHEWS SCHOOLS: A bond issue to build and equip a new K-12 school building and improve and equip its site and building, furnishing and improving other school facilities and clearing and improving their sites to raise $22.5 million.

MCDONALD SCHOOLS: A 4.9-mill, 5-year additional levy to provide for the emergency requirements of the school district to raise $260,000 annually.

NILES SCHOOLS: A 4.6-mill, 10-year renewal for the emergency requirements of the school district to raise $1.3 million annually.

SOUTHINGTON SCHOOLS: A 5-mill, 3-year additional for emergency requirements of the district, to raise $320,000.

WEATHERSFIELD SCHOOLS: An 8.4-mill bond issue to raise $8.4 million over 28 years and 1.8-mill continuous tax levy to raise $131,739 annually to participate in an Ohio School Facilities Commission project to add on to Seaborn Elementary to turn it into a K-8 building and raze the middle school, except for the gym, auditorium and bus garages.

In addition to the school issues, there is a countywide renewal of Issue 5 in Mahoning County that is of vital importance to a segment of the county’s children and young people. That is the 1-mill, five year renewal of a levy to support the Children Services Board. This funding is critical to the continued support of programs that help neglected and abused children. Renewal of the levy is especially important because economic conditions put strains on families that sometimes affect children even more than adults. In addition, state budget cutbacks have cut into local CSB operating funds.

While we are mindful that taxes take a painful bite out of everyone’s pocket, we urge voters to view these issues for their importance to the future of the community and to support education and children services with a yes vote on Nov. 3.