The committee members supporting the Norwalk City Schools' operating levy have been meeting with community groups and sending out informational postcards.
"We're in the process of a door-to-door campaign," Superintendent Dennis Doughty said.
The district will ask voters in November to approve an additional tax for daily operating purposes. Known as an emergency operating levy, it would generate $1.85 million annually for the school system for five years.
Doughty was asked how residents have responded during the door-to-door encounters.
"It's mixed. Some people don't understand why we need a levy," he said.
The board, in July, voted unanimously and without discussion to approve the levy resolution.
This is the second time in eight months the district has put a new tax on the ballot.
The last time the district passed a levy was the half-percent income tax in 1991.
"The last time (before March) we came to the voters was 1994," Doughty said.
The superintendent stressed that the school board has been "very fiscally responsible."
"The board has not been asleep. The board has been very fiscally responsible not to have to come back to voters in more than 20 years," Doughty said.
The annual state average of per-pupil spending is $10,564. In Norwalk, the average for 2011-2012 was $8,200.
"Very few schools I've seen are lower (than that)," Doughty said. "That's 22 percent lower than the state average."
He said he believes that spending $8,200 per student each year is lowest in the Huron County area -- and likely one of the lowest averages in Ohio.
During the March election, almost 60 percent of the people at the polls (or 1,901 voters) turned down a 6-mills additional levy. The new tax would have generated $2 million to cover daily operations of the district.
Based on the last election, Doughty said it's apparent the district didn't do a good enough job getting the word out on its financial needs. He said Norwalk is facing what all districts in the state are facing -- more and more reductions in funding.
Since 2008, Norwalk's revenue loss has been more than $2 million per year.
"The solution for coping with the shortfall has required cutbacks and a need for some additional funding. Funding shortfalls are due to reduced state foundation payments, smaller local property and income tax collections along with increased costs to operate the school system," according to levy literature provided by the district.
With stimulus money no longer available and more state cuts, Doughty said the school is left with tough choices.
"What do we cut now? We've cut 27 positions in the last three years," he said.
Doughty said the only option left is to cut existing programs.
"And that hurts," the superintendent added.
Comments
They have got to be kidding to even ask! Here's my vote: A BIG FAT NO !
Funny no mention of how high our already high property taxes will rise with this levy. I've already confidently voted no via absentee.
Well with the declining avg on property tax next year for most housing in Huron county, you wont have to pay anything extra if this passes. It would be a wash. See, easy fix.
My valuation went UP, not down, whereas last time it went slightly down, go figure. Even so, if my valuation went down, I still would vote no because it would be nice just once in a lifetime that I saved a few bucks!
What is your answer when the property values go up? you think they will lower the tax rate? NOT! your argument doesn't even sound good.
Your taxes would go up $7 a month for every $50,000 your home is valued. So, a $100,000 home would be less than $0.50 a day. It is even less if you are a senior citizen and you get the Homested Exemption.
Thats on top of our overblown school tax system! why do we have to work to pay so much in taxes for people who do not apreciate us or care one bit about the kids,or even better yet,why do people like you always try to figure out an angle to make someone feel guilty so they pay more taxes,you libs should be run out of the county or even better yet,THE COUNTRY!
I simply stated how much the levy would cost as someone posted they did not know.
You are right Alan.Someone paid for us and our children.I do agree with some of the No Votes there is always some fat to be trimmed.We have to trim our budget in tough times.
168 bucks a year if you own a 100k home....well over two hundred a year for a 150k home on top of the already very high taxes already implemented. Too much. Cut out all assistant supers, vice principals, all their secretaries, aides, etc and so on. Wouldn't hurt if teachers put more of their own money into their retirement and health care before ASKING me for money! NO NO NO NO NO NO!
Its called SB5, I already voted NO...
Since they are NFP, appeal to the local churches to cough up $2.5M.
Either cut out some sports programs or make 'em pay-for-play.
As is said: Improvise, Adapt and Overcome.
I will be voting NO, SB-5 would have probably fixed this problem... Let the teacher's union deal with it now.
Vote NOvember!
http://voteno43410.webs.com/
New levies are a tough sell because of economy, competition from other tax requests from libraries and other entities. School leaders tell homeowners how much extra a year the proposed levy will cost them. Also ask: What other school-related taxes are you now paying? This includes other operating levies still in effect, bond issues, permanent improvement levies, and vocational levies. Ask what portion of your local property tax dollars actually goes to the schools! Property taxes also go to other government entities, libraries, parks, social services and other special levies.
"This is the second time in eight months the district has put a new tax on the ballot." <-----You should have listened to the taxpayers the 1st time and saved the expense of putting it on the ballot again!
Are all you parents who are voting "a big fat no" ready to have your child's music, art, and physical education classes cut? How sad for those children who excel in the arts -who feel that sense of success when they sing or play instruments -who get a chance to exercise and work off some energy in gym class. Come on people -do it for the kids. Quit thinking you are helping out these "low life teachers" (I say that with extreme sarcasim)...by the way -why is it okay to stereotype teachers in the way some of you do??? I know MANY wonderful educators who put so much time and their own money into what they do because they CARE and LOVE children! UGGGGGGGG!!!
It has nothing to do with "helping" out the teachers (or not!) Your rhetoric, rss2122, is the perfect example of how one tries to bully the voter by playing the "guilt-card." "It's for the kids." No, it's not. It's for those new buildings, repairs, landscaping, and administrators salaries...When has it become about the REAL ESTATE instead of the children's education ie. arts, music, phys ed, etc. ?
well as the
old saying goes those who cant, teach!
Hit the road jack - I presume (If you are not, I apologize in advance. But for every parent that really cares, there are unfortunately so many more that do not) you are one of the parents that claim to care for their children's education, but fail to actually monitor their progress or even show for Open Houses. I have had children in the Norwalk School System for 27 years and counting and I am amazed at the LACK of participation from parents. Many times, I have gone to my childrens rooms to find two or three sets of parents in attendance out of perhaps 20-25 students. You mention the teachers not caring but you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about. Perhaps a handful may not care, but unfortunately, you place all teachers in the group. So, let's say that at your place of employment, you have a lazy or uncaring worker. So because of your generalization that you make, your entire work force is lazy, including yourself. So how do you feel about being so lazy? How foolish of a statement is that? This levy is not for salaries for the teachers. Their wages have been frozen for three years and for the unknown future.
To anyone - Imagine if your parents did not vote for school levies? This isn't a new idea that suddenly arose over the past several years. The schools have been hit hard over cuts from the government and we are responsible for this and future generations. Because of so many uncaring attitudes, the Dumbing Down of America continues.
rocketman - Get a clue. I would love to see you teach a classroom of children and follow all guidelines that are ever changing. I am not a teacher, but a parent that is concerned over the education of my children and everyone elses. Yes, my spouse is a teacher and am very proud of her (and every teacher that chooses to make a difference in a childs life) because of the dedication and love that she shows to all her students. It takes someone special to want to teach, not because in your words "Those you can't, teach."
It seems funny you should mention open house or parent teacher confrences(I have been to my share of these,back in the day)remember a couple years ago when the teachers were going to go on strike over having to attend the parent teacher confrences? maybe I'm wrong but this is the way I remember this. I could not agree with you more about the parents not caring about their kids,just pick up the paper any day of the week to witness this. Also funny you should mention the dumbing down of america,this started back in the forties and was pushed forward by your own the dept. of education,the dumber they could make the kids the more they could take advantage of them,another point,when your parents voted on ballot issues they were for $10,000 levies,now were talking 1 million or more and before the ink is dry on the contracts they are figuring out how to put the meat to the voters again.
Attending open houses, parent teacher conferences, and many many other school related functions were not the reason for the labor dispute of a few years ago. PLEASE, people, get your facts straight before posting on here.
AnAmerican....did you even read the article....they did cut back....27 positions in the last 3 years. That is a very significant cut for a school system the size of Norwalk. You have to have secretaries and aids so cutting them all out is not the solution. You can't be paying a principal to do a secretaries job. Norwalk is also operating under price per student state wide average by a significant amount.
I'd bet a year's salary that those 27 positions were not all current full-time teachers or full-time admin staff. How many retires are included? How about we print exactly what positions?
I am curious.... does NO mean NO????? or if the levy is not passed... will you punish the families , as always happens, and immediately cut Busing, and implement "pay for play " sports programs????? you know , when they do this, it is merely a "tantrum" that they are having, and must lash out at the voters and "punish " them for not doing as they are told...
I wonder, if the levy fails.. will you accept that?? or will you put it on the ballot for the next election??? and then the one after that???? and again, until it finally passes??? and then when it is time to renew it, you will boast that it is "NOT NEW MONEY" that you are seeking????I firmly believe that if the people say "NO" you need to make reasonable cuts NOT out of Vengeance, but out of necessity... let a panel of parents convene to make the cuts that they see that need to be made. The parents will not have a hard time getting rid of secretaries and staff that see non-essential
Please , if it fails, please , do not have the children write letters to the editor, for the local paper, where they are being graded on, like it is part of their grade.. Tell me how any teacher giving a grade on that assignment is going to give a good mark for someone who writes an outstanding letter in opposition to the levy?????? to me , when you allow teachers to do that, you are using public school time to advance your agenda, at the expense of our kids... it plays on their heart strings and their grades, and causes many of them to have to goo against their real opinions, and the opinions of their families, just to get a good grade... I do NOT think that is what we need to be teaching our kids...in my opinion
After hearing my kids say how teachers are on their cell phones, using the computer for facebook, even a date site, that is not teaching. I watch a teacher come out of the high school to immediately get on his phone while being outside with the handicap kids. School is not over until the bell rings and the kids are gone. It is sad when the kids come home and can say what a teacher has done over the weekend because he is on the phone while they are taking a test.
Hey GottaloveNorwalk -if the teachers are so bad in Norwalk, why not send your kids to St. Paul??? There's an option for ya!