What is an Emergency Levy?
School Districts may place on the ballot an emergency levy if they determine their present revenues are insufficient to provide for the emergency requirements of the school district or in order for the school to avoid an operating deficit.
Emergency levies are not subject to H.B. 920 but are adjusted by the County Budget Commission to insure the district receives the exact dollars as approved by the voters. The Ohio Administrative Code prohibits the emergency levies to be included in the twenty mill limit calculation. The maximum number of years an emergency levy can be levied is 10 years.
What will money collected from this levy be used for?
Operating expenditures are expenses paid for through the school district’s general fund. The levy will continue to fund day to day operational expenses. These include the following: transportation costs, utilities, technology, textbooks, consumable materials, salaries and benefits for all staff, contracted services including special education, mandated costs including testing and inspections and supplies including custodial and maintenance.
What has the North Central Board of Education and Administration done to control finances?
Leading up to the 2020-21 school year, the following positions were reduced.
- Administrative Athletic Director position
- School Resource Officer position
- Mental Health position
- Certified Staff in Special Education (Teacher)
- NWOESC Aide
- Full time Bus Driver
- Café position
Additionally bus routes were consolidated. There was a 10% reduction of principals’ budgets. No extra summer custodial help were hired for cleaning. There was also some movement of staff members in two areas along with vacated positions not being replaced; which has been done in the best interest of the education of kids. The previously mentioned actions resulted in total savings of about $224,000.
Moving forward we also will be exploring reducing transportation to state minimums, along with possibly moving athletics and other extra-curricular activities to the “pay to participate model.”
What happens if the Levy fails in May?
If the Levy fails again in May 2021 we will have to take a look at it as a School Community. We as a Board of Education and Administration are trying to avoid a point where we have to begin to dismantle some of the very programs that have been beneficial to our students (i.e. co-teaching and staff to make it happen for kids).
