Summit County, Ohio, school districts received mostly positive news following Tuesday's election, with issues passing in all but one district.
Coventry Local voters rejected a renewal of a 9.91-mill five-year emergency levy that would have pulled the district out of a two-year-old fiscal emergency. The district was on fiscal watch 19 years before that.
"Obviously we're very disappointed. It was an extreme, extreme low turnout," said Coventry Superintendent Russ Chaboudy. "The sad part is this levy would've gotten us out of all that fiscal oversight."
Chaboudy said the district will likely try again in November.
Aurora schools, which are in Portage and Summit counties, passed a 5.9-mill continuing levy to cover current expenses, which will begin this year. Funds will continue to provide programs and services the district offers, which were in danger after the state cut $2.4 million per year with the elimination of the Tangible Personal Property (TPP) tax.
"Of course we're very excited and very much appreciate the support from our community to allow us to continue to provide programs for students in this district," said Aurora Superintendent Pat Ciccantelli. "We're not looking to really add anything, we just needed money to make up for loss of state dollars."
In Portage County, Crestwood Local's 30-year, 4.45-mill bond issue for school buildings and a new 0.5-mill continuing levy for permanent improvements failed in a close 1725-1704 vote. The bond issue would have paid for the construction of new middle and high schools.
"I'm disappointed, but it was a close election, so I'm encouraged by that," said Crestwood Superintendent David Toth. "This doesn't discount the need for upgraded facilities."
Toth said he and the school board will convene to discuss future plans for new facilities.
Here are results for other Akron-area school districts:
Summit
- Cuyahoga Falls -- Renewal of 5-year, 4.75-mill levy for current expenses passed, 2,040-633
- Hudson -- Renewal of 5-year, 1.5-mill capital improvements levy passed, 2,480-372
- Norton -- Renewal of 5-year, 3-mill general permanent improvements levy passed, 902-662
- Twinsburg -- New continuing 6.9-mill levy for current expenses passed, 1,844-1,648
Portage
- Field Local -- New 5-year, 8.3-mill levy for current expenses failed, 1,851-1,280
- Ravenna -- New 5-year, 2.9-mill levy for general improvements passed, 916-862
- Waterloo Local -- New continuing 8.25-mill levy for current expenses failed, 1,055-511
Stark
- Alliance -- Renewal of 5-year, 2-mill levy for capital improvements passed, 355-131
- Marlington Local -- New 20-year, 3-mill, $15 million bond issue failed, 4,953-1,107
- Tuslaw Local -- New 5-year, 7.3-mill emergency levy passed, 302-283
Wayne
- Chippewa Local -- 5-year, 1 percent income tax increase for current operating expenses passed, 39-27
- Dalton -- Renewal of 5-year, 2-mill levy for general permanent improvements passed, 377-100
- Triway -- Renewal of 3-year, 4.55-mill levy passed, 422-246
- Wooster -- New 5-year, 1.75-mill levy for general permanent improvements passed, 1,634-553
