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Ohio District Tries for 4th Passage of Levy; District at Odds
Topic Started: Sep 17 2009, 11:40 PM (263 Views)
Ms. AK
Veteran
Here's a condensed Sports Illustrated story about a school district which is trying for the 4th time to pass a levy.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/andy_staples/09/16/nosports/index.html?bcnn=yes

Thursday September 17, 2009 11:19AM
BY Andy Staples
INSIDE HIGH SCHOOL

The impact of an Ohio school district's decision to cut sports

The Ohio South-Western City School Board (the district includes four high schools: Central Crossing, Grove City, Franklin Heights and Westland) took the unprecedented step of canceling all extra-curricular activities after voters failed to pass an operating levy Aug. 4. Now, the four high schools in Ohio's sixth-largest school district have no sports, no bands, no drama productions and no student council.

On Nov. 3, district voters will go to the polls a fourth time to decide whether the district will receive the additional property tax dollars the school board insists it needs to bring back sports, clubs and busing for high school students.

The issue has turned neighbor against neighbor and caused shouting matches at school board meetings and on street corners. Those who oppose the levy argue that the district should find a more efficient way to spend the money it already has instead of asking for more tax dollars. The anti-levy crusaders appear to be the majority, evidenced by the fact that the levy already has been voted down three times.

Those who support the levy warn that if the district doesn't offer a full program that includes a quality education and extra-curricular activities, parents will leave for another district that does.

Terry Jones, the president of South-Western Alternative to Taxes, contends that school board members are trying to force voters to pass the tax by threatening to take away extra-curricular activities and high school busing. Those programs cost $2.5 million and $500,000, respectively; they account for about 1.6 percent of the district's $185 million budget. Jones believes board members picked those programs because sports and public safety issues tend to motivate the electorate. Jones argues that since more than 80 percent of the district's budget goes toward salaries and benefits, the district should ask labor unions for concessions to bring down the cost. Teachers already have accepted a freeze on raises, but teachers with up to 15 years' experience still receive an annual step increase in pay.

"We have the district telling the residents that we need to sacrifice to pass these levies," Jones said. "But yet we don't see those sacrifices coming from the district. The unions are not stepping up. They refuse to."


District leaders: Little left to cut

School district officials paint a much different picture than Jones. They argue that sports and busing were cut only as last resorts. "I'd feel differently if that was the board's decision to make our first cuts," SuperintendentBill Wisesaid. "But after you've implemented $18 million of cuts and cut close to 12 percent of your staff?"

So instead of playing, many of the students in South-Western will campaign this fall to get the levy passed. Meanwhile, Jones and his supporters will campaign to defeat it. Mark Mayers said that after all the ballots were counted, the August initiative fell short by 406 votes. For both sides, every vote will be precious.
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