Issue 16: Medina Schools seeks levy funds for district's day-to-day operations

Issue 16 What it is: A 7.5-mill emergency levy. Duration: Ten years. How much it would raise: The tax levy would raise $14.4 million annually. Purpose: For the district's day-to-day operations. Cost to homeowner/taxpayer: The owner of a $100,000 home would pay $263. MEDINA — Medina Schools has a 7.5-mill, 10-year operating levy on the ballot for the Nov. 5 general election, which will raise approximately $14.4 million annually for the district's day-to-day operations. If passed, the levy would cost a homeowner of a $100,000 home about $263 annually. Medina Superintendent Aaron Sable said the district hasn't asked for new money in more than a decade while maintaining high-level education and extracurricular programming for students. "To continue to provide the same services that we've historically had here in Medina City Schools and offer all of our community, we need additional funds to offset the increased costs that we've all experienced across the area and the country," Sable said. The proposed levy follows the district's several attempts to raise new money for operations. Last November, the district first went to the voters with a combined 6.5-mill operating levy and a 2.83-mill bond issue. The 6.5-mill continuous operating levy would have collected about $12 million a year and the 2.83-mill bond issue would have collected $98.9 million, allowing the district to move forward with its plan for facilities and construction. Shortly after the failure, the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce placed the Medina district on "pre-caution status" because of the district's five-year forecast, which is expected to go into deficit spending within the third year of the plan. The district also made $2 million worth of reductions through the attrition of support staff, teachers and administrators. The reductions included three administrators, 15 certificated staff members and four support staff members. The 7.5-mill continuing levy on the March 19 ballot would have raised $14 million annually. With its failure, the district has made $2 million in additional reductions for the district. "Those $4 million in reductions were mostly through personnel and we are a people business," Sable said. "We don't have a product coming off of the factory line. If we have to increase our income, the only choice we have is going to the community and ask for money." If the levy fails in November, Sable said the district will enact a reduction plan the following school year, which the Medina Board of Education approved at its September meeting. The reduction plan comprises 15 changes, including individual buildings for each grade kindergarten through fourth grade, reduced electives and AP offerings at the high school level, and the elimination of high school busing. If the reduction plan is enacted, Sable said the district would have an overall reduction of more than 100 staff members within two years. To maintain an adequate balance and budget, Sable said the district would have to make a $8 million reduction in the 2025-26 school year, as shown in the reduction plan. "This would have a large scale devastating results on our school district in terms of the reductions," Sable said. "We were very surgical last year in doing the reductions. There's not much more we can do from a surgical approach." Sable said if the levy fails, not only will the reductions go into place because of the loss of collection dollars but the district will continually be back on the ballot to ask for additional funds. The district will need additional funding to keep services in place or the district will need to keep making reductions to maintain a positive balance, Sable said. "We're really asking the community to make a decision in November of what they want and expect out of the school district," Sable said. "Whether they want to maintain the level of academics and education options that have historically been offered here in Medina or whether they want to build a new legacy and direction with the district with grade level buildings and the more consolidated services for students with reduced electives and offerings at the high school." To learn more, visit www.medinabees.org/domain/734. Contact reporter Sara Crawford at (330) 721-4063 or scrawford@medina-gazette.com.