Issue 14: Brunswick Schools to have renewal operating levy on ballot

Issue 14 What is it: An approximately 2-mill renewal operating levy. Duration: 10 years. How much would it raise: $3.2 million a year. Purpose: Fund the daily operations of the school district. Cost to homeowner/taxpayer: Homeowners will pay $61.25 a year per $100,000 in home valuation. BRUNSWICK — Brunswick Schools will have a renewal operating levy on the upcoming November ballot after the levy previously failed in the March election. Issue 14 comprises an approximately 2-mill renewal operating levy, which would raise $3.2 million a year for 10 years. The owner of an $100,000 home would pay $61.25 a year upon passage. "Because it's an emergency levy, it's a finite dollar amount over a finite period of time," Superintendent Jason Niedermeyer said. "When this levy was first passed in 1994, it was about 7.8 mills to be able to raise $3.2 million across Brunswick, Brunswick Hills and a portion of Hinckley Township. Fast forward 30 years, it's just below 2 mills since the growth across our school community has been so great that the burden of this tax has lessened considerably." Of the funding raised, 80 percent goes back to staff like teachers, bus drivers and custodians, he said. The remaining 20 percent goes to general operations within the school district, like classroom materials, equipment and utilities. Since it is a renewal, it would not increase taxes. Niedermeyer said Brunswick Schools' students are performing at a high level while the district is spending below the state average per pupil. "From a return on investment perspective, we feel like we are doing a good job in meeting the needs of all of our kids," he said. There are also two tax credits associated with the levy since it was originally passed prior to November 2013, Niedermeyer said. The two credits add up to 12.5 percent. "That's essentially a 12.5 percent discount on the cost of this levy," he said. "While this levy raises $3.2 million, the state is picking up $380,000 of that $3.2 million. If this levy is not successful on Tuesday, Nov. 5, those tax credits will go away." If Issue 14 fails, the timeline will be accelerated in which the district has to go in front of voters to ask for new money, Niedermeyer said. The last time the district asked for new money was in November 2019, and it took four times at the ballot box before it passed. "We want to make that new money last as long as possible," he said. "We usually say five to seven years would be a typical time frame by which districts would ask for new money. We want to far exceed that promise to our community, but we know that promise to the community is predicated on the passage of these renewal levies." If Issue 14 passes, the district does not anticipate being back on the ballot until spring 2028, barring any unforeseen issues with state funding, Niedermeyer said. "We are doing our best to make sure that (levies) are spread out over time, so that we're not always on the ballot," he said. "It's just been a challenge over the past five years. That's why we're really excited by the prospect of passing this levy in November." Contact reporter Madisyn Woodring at (330) 721-4049 or mwoodring@medina-gazette.com.