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Poland board puts 2 levies on ballot
POLAND
Two school levies — a new one and a renewal — will appear before voters May 3.
The millage for both was announced at Monday’s school-board meeting at North Elementary.
A 4.9-mill, five-year additional emergency levy that would generate $1,875,000 annually was approved by a 3-1 vote.
Board members Elinor Zedaker, Richard Weaver and Dr. Larry Dinopoulos voted to put the levy on the ballot. Board member Robert Shovlin voted “no” and board president David Bennett was absent from the meeting.
In November, a 3.9-mill, five-year additional emergency levy failed.
Shovlin said he voted for the 3.9-mill measure and would have voted for it again, but disagreed with the increase. “I’m concerned with the change of the millage and the extra $2 million,” he said, referring to the estimated difference between the money generated over five years for each levy.
The board unanimously approved putting the school system’s renewal-emergency levy for another five-year period. That levy has been estimated at 3.6 mills to generate $1,369,748 annually.
Shovlin also said he was “concerned” about having the renewal and additional levy on the same ballot.
At the Nov. 22 meeting, board members had passed a resolution of necessity for both levies, which sent the requests to the county auditor to determine the millage, said treasurer Donald Stanovcak.
Monday’s vote means that both measures will go to the Mahoning County Board of Elections and then the state for certification to get on the ballot, he said.
In other business, some board members expressed concern over the cost of sending representatives to Washington, D.C., next year to accept the National Blue Ribbon awarded to Poland Seminary High School by the U.S. Department of Education.
Shovlin, who conducted the meeting in Bennett’s absence, said the board had authorized no more than $400 for expenses, but the financial report for November listed the cost as more than $800. He also said he worried about fairness, citing an example of the board refusing $400 for the Academic Challenge team at another meeting.
Zedaker said that she would like more information about the trip’s planning and costs.
However, she added, “the high school will not miss this recognition. We’re happy they can go to receive it.”