Schools submits tax levy question, approves contracts

The Sheffield-Sheffield Lake City Schools Board of Education approved language for a November tax levy in addition to a number of contracts at its regular session July 25.

Superintendent Michael Cook said the levy currently slated to appear on the ballot Nov. 7, will allow the district to continue operating without as much deficit spending after working through budget issues going back to 2014.

“We were in the hole so much that we had to ask for a $16 million levy, which is unreasonable to

ask any taxpayer including myself,” Cook said. “We made a lot of cuts, then we were able to come back and ask voters for $6.5 mills, which passed.

“Originally, when we passed the $6.5 million, we thought it was only going to get us through 2018. Through being very frugal, we’ve been able to stretch that to 2021, a full five years. But the problem is that we are deficit spending our way to that. What we don’t want to do is bury ourselves again and then have to ask the community for a large amount of millage.”

Cook said the board moving forward with the

$1.5 million levy will cost taxpayers about $52 a year.

“That’s an affordable amount that keeps us from deficit spending,” he said. “And the hope is that we don’t have to come to the voters in five years with some outrageous number.

“We are trying to be proactive as we’ve been reactive. I know it’s a culture change, but we’re trying to think ahead.”

In other business, the board approved a number of contracts for three secretaries, two bus drivers as well as teachers for the school’s kindergarten kickstart program.

Some controversy arose leading up to the meeting as one of the applicants for a secretary position at Brookside Intermediate School is the husband of board president

Amy DeLuca, prompting some union members in the community to question whether proper hiring procedures were followed.

In response, Cook said the present needs of the district necessitated looking outside of their union.

“I genuinely care about our union members,” Cook said. “We followed the contract as it’s written. Unfortunately, we ended up looking outside our union to fill the positions.

“We have found outstanding candidates. They all tested well and have good educational backgrounds.”

Cook added he hopes to be able to fill positions internally in the future and looks forward to more testing and professional development opportunities for union members.