Tough choices ahead after emergency school levy fails

March 9, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

Poland Local Schools could face major changes after residents voted down an additional emergency operating levy for the third time.

The 3.8-mill, five-year levy to generate $1,448,561 annually, defeated Tuesday, also was defeated in November 2010 and May 2011.

Dr. Larry Dinopoulos, school board president, said it’s clear that Poland residents don’t want to pay any new taxes, which means the board has to find a way to increase revenue without a levy.

“I respect the taxpayers. ... If we’re not going to get more revenue from the community, we’ve got to get it somehow,” he said. “Unfortunately the administration and board is now faced with some difficult questions and difficult decisions, and we’re going to have to be prepared to make those.”

The last time an additional levy was approved was in 2003, for 6.9 mills. That levy was supposed to last for five years and was stretched until 2010. Voters turned down two additional tax levies in November 2010 and May 2011, while funding from the state continued to decline, Superintendent Dr. Robert Zorn said previously.

Since the earlier levy defeats, cuts totaling more than $1.4 million were made, including more than 60 district employees either having their jobs cut back or eliminated, he said.

Zorn said Wednesday he’s spoken to the district principals and asked them to come up with plans for cuts in their own buildings.

“The board has asked me to do this, and I have asked every principal to prepare an outline of what else can be cut,” he said. “We’ve already eliminated all high school busing. The cuts we’ve made have been significant.”

Dinopoulos said the board plans to discuss all options at a public work session at 6 p.m. March 19.

The district’s five-year forecast projects a $2 million deficit by 2014, Dinopoulos said. He said the district needs about $1.2 million per year to remain solvent.

He said one of the main topics the board will discuss is open enrollment. “The bottom line is going to be, for a district, do we contemplate open enrollment? It will change the district,” he said. “Philosophically I’m opposed to it, but philosophy isn’t going to pay the bills.”

Dinopoulos said each incoming student would bring about $5,800 into the district, and if 200 students were allowed to open-enroll each year, the district would raise $1.16 million annually.

“We’ve all got to have some understanding that we’re going to really think long and hard about how to get ourselves out of this,” he said.

Other things the board will contemplate include cutting all-day kindergarten, something Dinopoulos said he hopes doesn’t happen. He said the board likely will introduce pay-to-participate for all athletics and cutting some extracurriculars and electives.

“We hate to do that. It’s not something we want to do,” he said.

Dinopolous said more staffing cuts aren’t as likely.

“There’s not much more staff to cut,” he said. “At this point, the only real option is eliminating all-day kindergarten.”

The board president said no matter what is cut, the main issue is raising money.

“The bottom line is money,” he said. “We can’t cut our way out of deficit. We’re still going to be short.”