Transcript Document

LUCAS
Schools
Need Your
Support
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LUCAS SCHOOL
LEVIES
Decisions
2004
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Clarification #1
• The levies we are seeking are for basic
operational expenses. They have nothing to
do with property acquisition, buildings, or a
building program.
• Emergency Levies are for Operational
Expenses.
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What is an Emergency Levy?
• This is a type of property tax levy in Ohio
that establishes a fixed amount of money to
be collected over a fixed period of time, not
to exceed five years.
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Clarification #2
• The State of Ohio is not going to resolve the
issue of state funding for public education
in the foreseeable future; many new
legislators and a new governor have to be
elected for effective changes to occur.
• And to obtain additional State money, State
taxes would have to be raised!
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School Taxes-An Educational
Investment
• Very few people want to vote to raise their
taxes, but Ohio school funding is based
upon a combination of state and local funds
derived by taxation. Local taxes must come
from either property or income taxes for the
school district. Without the local tax share,
school districts can not exist. Our local
school taxes are an “educational
investment”.
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Investment in What?
• Investment in the growth and development
of our children
• Investment in our future decision-makers
and leaders
• Investment in protecting property values in
our community
• EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN
OUR FUTURE
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Reduce Spending
• After our March levy attempt, the voters told us to
reduce spending and the amount of the new levy
• We have done this but still did not obtain voter
approval in August
• How much more do the voters want eliminated
from the education for our children?
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We Have A No Frills District
• Lucas Schools have operated with
minimal expenditures for the past ten
years and we will obviously continue to
do so for the foreseeable future even with
the passage of a renewal and new levy.
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What Cuts/Reductions did we
make for 2004-2005?
• In 2003-04 we reduced operational spending by
$175,000
• This year we will continue reducing operational
spending
• Eliminated 4 ½ teaching positions for 2004-05
– AD; HS English,Art and French I; HS Librarian; Music
teacher; Gifted program
• Eliminated 2 Classified staff positions
– MS Secretary, Bus driver
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2004-05 Cuts/Reductions (con’t)
• Reduced custodian hours during the
summer (6 hour days for 8 weeks)
• Reduced building budgets by 57% from FY
03 through FY 05
• Administrative salary freeze in FY 05
• Aides now hired via MOESC
• Non renewal of memberships in two school
funding organizations
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Additional Cuts/Reductions for
2005-06 Without a New Levy
• Operating expenditures will be held to minimums
and not address educational needs
• Purchased Services will be reduced or eliminated
• Certified and Classified staff reductions will be
made and Elective Classes will be lost
– Vo-Ag, Family/Consumer Science, Industrial Tech
• Extracurricular activities will have a fee or be
eliminated
– This includes athletics and student organizations
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Cuts, Renewal, New Levy
• In order for our school district to remain
financially solvent for the next two years, we are
reducing spending and making cuts, but we must
pass both a renewal and new school levy in 2004
• We are asking for Emergency Levies that set a
fixed amount of local dollars as opposed to
millage.
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What is a Mil or Mill?
• A mill is one-tenth of a cent.
• Millage values vary from district to district.
It is based upon the district’s property
valuation.
(1 mill in Lucas = $61,000)
Note: Millage for an Emergency Levy reduces
as property values increase
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New Emergency Levy
November
• A $500,000 additional local
INVESTMENT for two (2) years to
avoid an operating deficit in 2006 - 2007
(8.2 mills to be collected in 2005 and 2006)
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New Levy
Increased Taxpayer Investment
for Two Years
• $100,000 home = approximately $252 per
year after 12.5% rollback
– Or about $ 126 per half year
– Or about $ 21.00 per month
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Why 2 Years?
• This will provide us with operating funds
while we consider our future financial needs
based upon the new State school funding
budget for 2006-2008 and determine the
feasibility of an income tax to replace our
property tax in 2007
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RENEWAL Emergency Levy
November
• RENEWAL of our existing $275,000
Emergency Levy for a period of five (5)
years.
(Approximately 4.5 mills to be collected from
2006-2010)
• NO INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES
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New and Renewal Levies and
Cuts are Needed to Offset Our
Projected Deficit
• FY 07 = $202,604
• FY 08 = $1,171,443
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Reasons for Our Projected
Deficit
• Increased operating expenses due to facility
and instructional needs
• Inadequate state funding and changes in the
tax structure
• State and Federal requirements and
unfunded mandates
• No new local money since 1995
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Increased Operational Expenses
• Instructional materials,
supplies, textbooks,
technology
• Facilities including
furniture, roof and
structural repairs, heating
upgrades and repairs,
electrical and plumbing
repairs, etc.
• Liability, property, fleet
and medical insurances
• Utilities and fuel
• Salaries and benefits
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Decreased State Funding and
Changes in Tax Laws
• Reductions in the State Foundation program (per
pupil funding level) have resulted in a reduction of
$235,200 for Lucas Schools from FY02 through
FY 05
• Loss of revenue from the phase down of Personal
Tangible Property Taxes (business inventory tax)
has resulted in the loss of over $250,000 in local
money from FY 01 through FY 05
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How Money is Used
• Instructional services
– Salaries and benefits
• Purchased services
– Contracts with support agencies
• Supplies
– Office, custodial, classroom
• Capital outlay
– Buildings/Facilities
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Specifically Where is Money
Spent?
• Five basic categories
–
–
–
–
–
Instructional = 80%
Purchased Services = 9%
Supplies = 6%
Capital Outlay = 3%
Other = 2%
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How will an Additional Local
Investment be Used?
• Maintain a financially solvent school
district
• Pay our bills – NO EXTRAS
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The ISSUE is…
What do Lucas voters want for the future of Lucas
and Lucas Schools? What vision do Lucas voters
have for the future of Lucas and Lucas Schools?
Do Lucas voters want us to “cut” more from the
education of our children?
This is the Issue that Lucas voters will answer at the
voting polls in November.
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Who is this about?
• This is about providing a 21st Century
Education for Lucas Children
• This is about preparing Lucas Children to
compete in our global society and economy
• This is about the Future of Lucas Children,
Lucas, and Lucas Schools
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School Taxes Will Be Paid to
Some School District
• Every person in Ohio pays school taxes
• Myth – if we have no school, there
will be no school tax
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What Would be Our School Tax
If We Combined with Another
District?
• Consider that the Districts around us are also in
financial need and have levies for additional
money on the ballot
• This is a very complex question to answer and
would require a study of the other school district’s
new boundaries to determine the school taxes
• The Bottom Line is that school taxes will
increase and it is a matter of who you want to
pay them to
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What if we lose our school?
• We will have to pay the school tax where ever our
students attend school
• Our property values will decrease without a school
in Lucas
• We lose our Identity and Community; imagine
Lucas without a school!
• Our students will lose many opportunities that
they now enjoy in a small school system
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Comparison to a Private School
• Many of our residents compare our school
to a private school with all the benefits but
at a lower cost.
• Yet the fact is that Education is expensive
especially in a community that has chosen
not to attract any large business or industry.
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Who Pays for Education?
• Fortunately taxpayers in the past paid for
your education and now it is your turn to
pay for the education of today’s youth.
• Yes, Education is Expensive – but what are
the Consequences of an Uneducated or
Undereducated society?
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How do Our Schools Rate?
• Academic Achievement of our Students is
among the BEST in North Central Ohio.
• Our school system makes our community
attractive to people who care about
education and keeps our property values
high.
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Effective School District and
Academic Successes
• For the past four years we have been
designated as an Effective School District
by the Ohio Local Report Card (LRC) that
measures student achievement and school
performance.
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2003-2004 Local Report Card
• District = 13 of 18 criteria
Effective
High School = 6 of 6 criteria
Excellent
Middle School = 5 of 6 criteria
Effective
Elementary School = 3 of 7 criteria
Effective
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Attributes of Lucas Schools
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Small school advantages
Many successful graduates
Strong community support??
Dedicated employees
State and nationally recognized FFA program
High student academic achievement
Student participation in sports and activities
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Questions?
• Please direct your questions to the
Superintendent, Gus Huber, at
419-892-2338 Ext. 212 or the Treasurer,
Barb Donohue, at 419-892-2338 Ext. 213
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Citizens for Lucas
Schools Committee
Don Spring, Chairperson
Richard Arehart, Treasurer
1755 St. Rt. 39, Lucas, Ohio, 44843
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