Canfield schools seek levy renewal in upcoming election

By Billy Ludt | October 16, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

CANFIELD

The Canfield Local School District hopes voters in November renew a five-year, 5.9-mill levy set to generate $1 million annually beginning in the 2018-19 school year.

Members of the levy board said original passage of the tax issue in 2013 provided the finances that helped improve the performance-index rating the school district received for the 2016-17 school year on the state report card released in September.

The levy renewal would cost about the same as in previous years, continuing at about $200 a year for homeowners of a $100,000 home.

The tax dollars assisted with the district’s five-year improvement plan established in 2013, funding a laundry list of school programs, extracurricular activities, facility improvements, new security equipment, vehicle purchases and new technology for classroom use.

The district also was able to offer all-day kindergarten, have the high-school marching band perform at both home and away games, and purchase 19 new school buses.

“The amount of things that we have been able to accomplish has exceeded expectations,” said Dave Crawford, levy board co-chairman.

Financially speaking, Canfield schools were in the red until 2013, said a school district spokeswoman.

Before 2013, Canfield voters did not pass an additional school levy for 11 years.