SOUTH RANGE schools 3-YEAR LEVY GOES DOWN ONCE AGAIN

By ROBERT CONNELLY

rconnelly@vindy.com

NORTH LIMA

South Range voters have rejected the third-consecutive operating levy put before them.

The measure failed with 61 percent of the votes against it, according to unofficial results from the Mahoning County Board of Elections.

The three-year, 4.9-mills operating levy would have generated $931,838 annually for three years. It would have cost the owner of a $100,000 home $171.50 a year.

The district will spend about $10,000 to $12,000 for the primary election ballot, because no other issues were before voters in Beaver and Green townships.

“We worked very hard not only as a school community, but also as a force of volunteers throughout the district to responsibly present our case to the voters of our community. The consequences of the community’s decision will be difficult to manage, but we will make the necessary changes to keep the needs of student and their academic achievement at the forefront,” Dennis Dunham, South Range schools superintendent, said in a prepared statement.

Two previous levies were also defeated with varying years and millage amounts. Likewise, both were defeated by more than 60 percent of the vote in November 2013 and November 2014.

The Citizens for South Range Schools, the pro-levy committee, did in-home visits with residents in the lead-up to the vote. Meanwhile, ACT NOW for South Range Schools had a mailing and two phone banks, paid for by Americans For Prosperity, a national conservative advocacy and anti-tax group funded by billionaires Charles and David Koch.

ACT stands for Accountability, Clarity and Transparency.

“The South Range citizens who formed ACT take no joy in the defeat of the levy. However, we hope it triggers an honest top to bottom review of the school system’s finances and operations,” said Richard Ferenchak, a member of ACT Now and an outspoken resident at school board meetings.

“It is our hope that the board will take this defeat as a referendum on their performance and begin to remedy the current fiscal situation that they have created through their lack of vision and planning.”

Ralph Wince, South Range Board of Education president, echoed Dunham’s thoughts and said that the board will debate over the coming weeks whether to put another levy on in November.

“More than likely next year doesn’t end in a deficit. If you’re running a business you can’t wait until you’re broke to start making changes,” Wince said. “We’re ultimately going to have to cut some positions and we’ve made that known for quite some time.”

Members of ACT Now met at The Smokin’ Gun Saloon on Market Street Tuesday night awaiting results. Before the results were posted, members of the group believed the levy would fail 60-40 percent after hearing from residents from a recent round of phone calls they’d done.

“We were just worried about turnout,” Ferenchak said.

ACT is seeking a performance audit of the schools by the state and a comprehensive and detailed review of a five-year plan for the district. The school district voted unanimously at its last board meeting to participate in the state treasurer’s Open Checkbook program online.

The first phase of cuts to reduce costs were approved at the Feb. 16 board meeting.

The three teachers affected by the reduction in force are Dana Veneskey, an elementary school music teacher; Mark Giesy, a middle school STEM teacher; and Christine Yukech, a part-time science teacher.