The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Lakota to put 6.9-mill levy on May ballot

School’s spring musical is a toe-tapper
Updated 10 min. ago
Mayor: Middletown is stretching dollars to maximize efficiencies
3:26 a.m.
'Miracle' baby celebrates 1st birthday today
3:20 a.m.
Elections board gets revised levy for Middletown schools
3:12 a.m.
Kasich wants changes but will save details for fall
3/18/10
> More headlines

By Dave Greber, Staff Writer 1:45 PM Tuesday, February 9, 2010

LIBERTY TWP. — The Lakota Board of Education Monday night, Feb. 8, agreed to proceed with placing a relatively new type of levy on the May ballot.

The district of 18,500 students will be asking residents in Liberty and West Chester townships to support a 6.9-mill incremental levy on May 4.

Incremental levies use one vote by taxpayers to support two millage rates. In this case, if approved, the incremental levy would continue at the 6.9-mill level until 2012, then automatically increase by 4.9 mills from 2012 to 2014.

If approved, the levy would cost an additional $211 per year per $100,000 in home value from 2010 to 2012, then $361 — a $150 increase — per year per $100,000 in home value from 2012 to 2014. District finance officials said Monday they anticipate heading back to voters for another operating levy in 2014 or 2015.

Lakota Treasurer Craig Jones said incremental levies have been used by Ohio school districts for only the past 10 years, including most recently in Mason.

The resolution of necessity approved unanimously Monday cues the county auditor to begin factoring land value in the district, providing the board with a certified expectation the proposed levy would generate.

The board must now approve a resolution to proceed by Feb. 18, the deadline to file the necessary paperwork with the Butler County Board of Elections in order for the measure to show up on the Primary ballot in May. A special meeting has been set for 4 p.m., Feb. 17 at the district’s Central Office.

The incremental levy would generate an estimated $19.32 million per year for the 2010 and 2011 fiscal years, and an additional $13.72 million in 2012 and after.

“I think the incremental (option) takes into account where the community is right now with the economy,” Board member Lynda O’Connor said Monday.

Lakota’s financial troubles are not expected to wane anytime soon, officials have said.

The county’s largest district — and the state’s largest rated excellent with distinction — is fighting flat funding since 2005 despite an increase of more than 1,500 students, a 3 percent reduction — or about $1.3 million — in state funding over the next two years and unfunded state mandates, such as all-day kindergarten. Lakota’s five-year financial forecast includes an expected deficit of $28 million by the end of the 2011-12 school year without new funding and deep cuts.

Lakota began the year by slashing more than $4.2 million from its $165 million budget. Another $6 million in cuts — including the equivalent of more than 105 teachers and staff — were announced Feb. 3.

Lakota boe cuts erey if needed. PAGE XX

Share this article

ADD COMMENT

Comments feed

I'm sick of this. Let's pull ourselves together to defeat this. Visit me at www.youtube.com/richhoffman

Rich Hoffman
12:24 PM, 2/18/2010

REPORT ABUSE

We are retired.We supported school levies for 30+ yrs.Our spendable income continues to go down.
A levy is a levy,which isn't new.A USE fee would be new.If a USAGE FEE were used, the cost would be i.e 19.320M/18500=$1044.32/student for 2010&2011,and (19.32M+13.72M)/18500=$1785.95/student for 2012 & thereafter.What else would a USE FEE accomplish? If the users(i.e.THE STUDENTS&their parents)paid for what they receive as USERS, They would be more involved in controling costs.
VOTE NO NO NO NO

Beek
12:05 PM, 2/17/2010

REPORT ABUSE

Here are the facts they don't want us to know;

1) Total spending has been and continues to go up each year.
2) Labor cost is by far the biggest part of spending.
3) Fastest growing part of labor cost is pension and benefit costs.
4) More and more of that money is going to people who no longer render services to our kids (double-dippers). The pension ponzi scheme has passed the breaking point - no matter what we give them, they will cut services from our kids.

Vote NO!

Bob
10:37 AM, 2/15/2010

REPORT ABUSE

The School board vote allows the county auditor to begin factoring land value in the district to certify what the levy would generate. How much commercial property will be exempted from the calculation ? My guess is a whole bunch.

mike
9:19 AM, 2/14/2010

REPORT ABUSE

Bob, this is exactly the type of data voters need to make more informed decisions at the polls. And, exactly why pension reforms need to occur not only in our schools, but throughout local, state and federal government as well.

Bold Change Needed
2:22 PM, 2/13/2010

REPORT ABUSE

There are 24 additional comments

SHOW ALL

We welcome your comments. Please remember this is a public forum and behave appropriately. Your comments must conform to our visitor's agreement.