Boardman schools will ask voters to approve new emergency levy

BOARDMAN

The school district will ask voters in May to approve a new 10-year emergency tax levy that would generate $4.9 million per year.

At a special school board meeting tonight, the board voted unanimously in favor of the first reading of the resolution. 

District leaders described the need for additional funds in terms of lost state funding that has resulted in the district going into deficit spending - to the tune of $3.4 million this fiscal year. 

“It is my opinion that the community is going to pay for the school district they want, because the state has continued to pull money in the way they fund” schools,” board president Jeff Barone said. 

Treasurer Nick Ciarniello explained that Boardman is a capped district - meaning the school district receives about $3.8 million less per year from the state than it is supposed to, due to state funding going to schools that the state guarantees funding to. 

The final reading of the resolution will take place at the next board meeting, at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Center Intermediate.