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Poland schools seek 5-year emergency levy
By Denise Dick
By DENISE DICK
POLAND
Photo
Poland Superintendent Dr. Robert Zorn
Poland School District voters will be asked this fall to approve a 3.9-mill emergency operating levy that school officials say is needed because of projected cuts in state funding.
The five-year levy, which would generate $1,485,900 annually, is to appear on the November ballot. School-board members passed a resolution to pursue the additional levy this week.
Treasurer Donald Stanovcak said the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $119 per year.
He said the levy is needed because of anticipated cuts in state aid. The extent of the cuts isn’t known, but officials from many other school districts have said they’re also bracing for cuts.
“I think it’s pretty dire statewide,” Stanovcak said.
Every school district is expecting to make cuts because of the anticipated reduction in state aid, he said.
While they expect a reduction, the extent of that reduction is unknown.
“It’s very hard to project when you don’t have that information,” the treasurer said.
Superintendent Robert Zorn said there have been discussions of the cut ranging between 7 percent and 20 percent.
“It’s a bad financial picture,” he said.
Without the levy, the district is expected to be in the red for the year beginning July 2011.
If state funding cuts weren’t an issue, the district expected to remain solvent through 2013 at least, Stanovcak said.
The last new school levy passed in 2002.
“The rule of thumb is five years,” he said. “We went beyond that by almost three years. We’re proud of that — very proud of that. Dr. [Robert] Zorn and all of us here do a pretty good job” controlling costs and monitoring the budget.