Auroraadvocate.com - Kaleidoscope: Economy was a big factor in school levy defeat

by Ken Lahmers

Editor

A lot of people have said they were surprised that the Aurora schools' 6-mill bond issue/levy went down to defeat at the Nov. 6 election.

I wasn't.

As a media person who tries to keep a close eye on the pulse of the community, I figured the outcome could go either way and would be close.

I talked to quite a few people about the issue, and their comments pretty much followed the voting results -- about half were in favor and about half were against. The issue lost by 126 votes.

Since the vote, I've spoken to many more people who've analyzed the situation, and they've given a variety of reasons for the 126-vote defeat.

In any vote on a tax issue, you could ask a dozen people why they opposed it, and you'd receive a half-dozen different answers -- some legitimate, some not.

There always will be those who say the Board of Education -- or city -- is not spending the taxpayers' money prudently.

Likewise, there are those who have an ax to grind. Perhaps they believe their child has been treated unfairly by administrators or teachers, so opposing a levy is a way to get back at the district.

OR MAYBE they don't like certain administrators, teachers or Board members. Obviously that's not a good reason to hold school children hostage, but nevertheless it's a reason for some.

In Aurora, I continue to hear voters talk about the situation surrounding the former school treasurer's sudden resignation.

Regardless of whether that's a legitimate excuse to vote against a levy, the situation still seems to be weighing on some taxpayers' minds.

One person I talked to attributed the defeat to "voter apathy." It's sad but true that fewer and fewer residents are voting in elections -- not just here but nationwide.

Those are some of the reasons I've heard for the levy's failure, but in the end I believe it comes down to economic factors. As one person told me, "It [the 6 mills] was just too much money."

We all know the state of Ohio has wrestled with school funding for years. Four times now, the system has been ruled unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court.

Not a lot has been done to correct the situation since those decisions were rendered.

So for the most part, school districts must continue to fend for themselves. They must place issues before voters from time to time, and hope voters support them.

In a lot of cases, the strong voter support which many districts once had has eroded as economic aspects in our lifetimes have changed.

ACCORDING to local officials, passage of the 6-mill levy would have cost locals who own a home valued at $200,000 about an additional $367 per year.

Senior citizens may consider that a fortune. For those who have lost jobs, it could be devastating. Even for those who are working, it's a good chunk of change.

Portage County is being hit with a new round of job losses; more than 600 are being eliminated at a handful of plants which will close and move elsewhere.

Crude oil prices are knocking at the $100 per barrel level and we're paying more than $3 a gallon for gasoline.

And then there's skyrocketing health care costs. Even people whose jobs are secure and who earn a high salary have seen their premiums and co-pays for prescription drugs soar. In some cases, co-pays have doubled.

Prices of other products also have hit the roof. For example, milk prices are above $3 per gallon. Six to eight months ago, you could buy milk on sale for less than $2.

Everybody has to live within his or her means, and in tough times that goes for the school district, too. In the last couple of weeks, Board members have slaved to make cuts to stay within the budget.

THOSE FIVE people are doing their best to keep Aurora's schools among the top 20 or 30 districts statewide. They must realize negative votes sometimes are because of factors beyond their control.

On Nov. 26, the Board adopted several resolutions which would reduce district spending. Some shouldn't cause too many problems for students and parents, while others will be painful.

Students will have to pay for attending sports contests, taking Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate tests and enrolling in summer school.

Since some supplemental contracts will be eliminated, students won't be able to participate in a number of clubs and extracurricular activities, and they won't be able to go on certain field trips.

The Board also has voted to place the 6-mill bond issue/levy back on the ballot in March.

Will the cuts change people's attititudes toward the next levy or will parents of Aurora's children be able to live with the cuts and toe the line?

A lot of soul-searching will be done in the next three months. Will the educational process continue to move forward like it has in the recent past or will it take a step back?

The residents will decide.