by Debbie Alberico

How much will it cost for $100,000 house with the renewal?  How much more with both levies?

Levy failures have forced us to eliminated $5.5 million worth of programs and services. To bring back everything that was eliminated, both levies need to pass. Passage of both levies will cost $67 more per year, for a $100,000 home. If only the renewal passes, we can bring back $4 million worth of cuts. That means that will not restore $1.5 million worth of programs /services that have been eliminated.

How does this work with the Homestead for seniors.  Will we still save money?

The first $25,000 of property value is exempt from taxes. It has been estimated by the Ohio Department of Taxation to result in over $450 in reduced taxes for newly qualified taxpayers For more information you should call the Butler Co. Auditor’s office 513-887-3154 or visit http://www.butlercountyauditor.org/homestead.cfm

We were wondering, do both levy's need to pass for bussing to be restored?  If so, how long after they pass will they be restored?  

If both levies pass, the entire $5.5 million worth of services and programs, including transportation, will be restored.

If only the $4 million renewal (Issue 14) passes, $4 million of programs and services will be restored. The Board of Education is seeking community input through a telephone survey and community forum to determine which programs and services will be restored and which remain eliminated.

If only the new $1.5 million levy (Issue 13) $1.5 million of programs and services will be restored. The Board of Education is seeking community input through a telephone survey and community forum to determine which programs and services will be restored and which remain eliminated.

We know what got cut without the levy.  Where will the money go, to restore these things that were taken?  How much of it will go for raises for all of the employees and not for the kids?

Money generated from operating levies go to the General Fund. The General Fund supports programs, services and wages for staff. The Middletown Teachers Association and the Board of Education have not yet completed negotiations, so raises for teachers have not yet been determined. However, the Board has announced that all administrators, including the superintendent, are under a salary freeze.

How does spending more money at our schools increase our effectiveness ratings?

Currently, approximately 65% of our students qualify for free and reduced lunch. Students in lower income brackets tend to bring more learning barriers to our schools. This means that these students need more time and more resources to learn.

Are you wanting to spend this money to increase our testing results or really teach our kids?  Why aren’t they the same thing?

They are the same thing. The state of Ohio sets learning requirements based on what students should know at each grade level. Students are tested on those requirements.

Are we broke because you spent all the money on new schools?

No! In Nov. 2003, the community approved a bond issue that is being used to pay for the new schools. By law, this money cannot be used to pay for anything except bricks and mortar. The building project is on budget and on schedule.

I keep hearing that they are going to change school funding so it doesn’t have to come from real estate taxes but I don’t see any results? 

The state legislators have been ordered by the Supreme Court to change the way schools are funded several times. The legislators are not complying with that order.   Further, no plan exists at the state level to force them to comply.  Therefore, it becomes a local issue to keep the programs and services that we had prior to the cuts being implemented.

It seems that Dr. Price is trying to punish the kids and parents when he decided what cuts to make.

The Board of Education made decisions about eliminating programs based on what we need to keep to fulfill state requirements.

Everyone talks about getting the sports restored.  None of the scholastic cuts have been restored.  Why not?

Extracurricular activities are being partially funded through private organizations that donated money to the district specifically to support activities which includes extra curricular athletic and academic programs. The remainder of the funding for these programs is from coaches and advisors deferring their salary and student participation fees. The contribution was not to be used for classes or other academic programs for which students receive academic credit. 

Some scholastic programs have been restored with the help of funding through the governor’s new budget and state grants.

Couldn’t you use the city buses for school.  Some of the kids could afford to pay and it would help their parents.

Some students do take advantage of the city’s bus services. However, the city does not have enough busses, drivers or schedule to accommodate all of our students needing transportation.

Who decides how the money is spent?  Don’t they have to be accountable to someone?  Are there regulations or percentage limits on how the money is spent?

The Board of Education has the final decision on how the money is spent. They are accountable to the community who elects them. Yes, there are many Federal and State regulations guiding how money is spent. Much of the time the Federal Government and State Government require that the district spends money on certain programs. However, they do not provide all of the funding necessary to support those programs.

How do the salaries of school employees and the costs per student compare to similar cities?

Both employee salaries and costs per student are similar to similar districts, but not local districts, because they are not similar in demographics.

We have lots of “administrators” with titles I don’t really understand.  Are we too top heavy?  These are the people that make the big salaries.

Many of our administrators are paid, completely or partially, through grants that require administrative personnel. 

When our property values go even further down because of the schools, will our real estate taxes go down since the property is worth less?

Property values increase with schools that offer many opportunities for students. When opportunities are eliminated, property values decrease.   If property values decrease, taxes will likely increase without a vote because the money the school receives from a levy must remain the same.  Therefore, a decrease in property value requires the taxes to be raised to generate the same amount of money.