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Canfield trustees won’t endorse school levy
By Elise Franco
Canfield School District won’t get a levy endorsement from the township trustees.
About 50 residents filled the township hall during Tuesday’s regular meeting in hopes that the trustees would publicly support two school levies that will appear on the primary ballot in May.
The district is asking for a 6.8-mill operating levy that would bring in $3.8 million annually for five years, and the renewal of a 1.6-mill emergency levy that would sustain the district through fiscal year 2015.
Trustee Martha Zarlenga made a motion to endorse the levies, but the board voted 2-1 against the endorsement, with Zarlenga casting the yes vote.
“This is desperately needed by the schoolchildren of Canfield,” she said. “It’s a very challenging situation with everything the governor has cut from the schools, and we have to stand up and take hold of this ourselves.”
Trustees Marie Cartwright and Tony Bettile said though they do personally support the school district, they don’t believe it’s proper for a political entity to make such an endorsement.
“I don’t feel politics should influence the public in the way they vote,” Bettile said. “Residents need to make an unbiased decision about the levy.”
Cartwright said because of trying economic times, each individual resident should make his or her own choice about how they want to vote.
“I don’t believe the board should support or not support any issue on the ballot,” she said.
Zarlenga noted that the school district hasn’t asked residents to pass a new levy since 2002, and she found records of previous boards endorsing levies back to 1988.
Canfield City Council voted in March to endorse the levy.
Among those in the crowd Tuesday night were residents, teachers, students and school administrators, including Superintendent Dante Zambrini, who thanked Zarlenga for her continued public support of the schools.
“The schools believe that both the city and township children deserve the best education we’re able to give them,” he said. “[Zarlenga] does indeed stand for the combined efforts of the schools, the city and the township.”
Cheryl McGrath, a Canfield Township resident and teacher at C.H. Campbell Elementary, said she’s disappointed in the board’s decision.
“Their comments on not wanting to influence voters are an escape for not wanting to stand up for an issue,” she said.
McGrath said though Bettile and Zarlenga said they didn’t want to take a stance on the levy one way or the other, voting not to endorse sends a clear message.
“This sends a message of nonsupport,” she said.