Chardon Schools seeks tax to support operations

Additional levy needed to offset loss in state funding, leader says

Chardon Schools supporters are turning to local taxpayers on Nov. 7 to keep operations at the current level.

More than 15,600 voters in the school district are eligible to cast ballots on a 3.9mill additional continuing operating levy.

The tax would yield more than $2.5 million annually and cost a property owner $136.50 more per year per $100,000 in home value.

The levy would fund day-to-day operations of the school district, including classroom instruction, student support, technology, professional development, transportation, textbooks, utilities and personnel costs.

The reasons behind the request have mainly to do with a reduction in funds from other sources, including the tangible personal property tax reimbursement phased out by the Ohio Legislature. This resulted in an annual loss of nearly $1 million in operating revenue, Superintendent Michael P. Hanlon said

“The district cannot sustain that reduction in our budget,” he said.

The other major factor is the Legislature-approved deduction of $6,010 per pupil for each of the 84 Chardon students attending

The tax would yield more than $2.5 million annually and cost a property owner $136.50 more per year per $100,000 in home value.

charter schools.

“The district only receives $1,270 per student,” Hanlon said. “The remaining $4,740 per pupil is funded by the district’s General Fund and, ultimately, our local taxpayers. This results in a net loss that has grown to nearly $600,000 a year for charter schools.

“Taken together, approximately two-thirds of the funding requested through this operating levy will simply hold our budget constant and offset the legislative impact on the district’s revenue.”

Although district leaders are amid strategic planning for facilities, the funds wouldn’t be used for that purpose, he said. That would require a separate bond issue, which wouldn’t be up for consideration until at least next year, according to FAQs provided by Citizens 4 Chardon Schools.

“Chardon students are receiving an exceptional education as indicated by the

2016 Report Card produced by the Ohio Department of Education,” the group’s website says. “Continuing our current level of performance contributes to strong students and a strong community.”

The site lists several ways the district has cut costs since passage of the last operating levy, in 2013. They include:

• Food Services Department cost containment resulting in reduced general fund support for the program, equaling $150,000 savings per year

• New automated control system eliminating need for a contract with an outside company to monitor building heating and ventilation systems, saving $50,000 a year

• New telephone system reducing operating expenses by about $35,000 per year

• Developing instructional programs that return students from placements outside the district to be educated in Chardon schools by Chardon teachers, leading to cost savings

• Energy management program that results in significant cost avoidance for ongoing utility expenses.

“The commitment of staff to these savings has played an important role in our ongoing success,” Hanlon said.

The district’s annual operating budget is about $34 million.

SUBMITTED Family Science Day is a popular event in Chardon Schools. The district is seeking a tax increase to maintain day-to-day operations.