| Support at polls critical for continuing momentum | |
Voters will have the opportunity to support the district and its forward progress at the polls tomorrow.
If
approved, Issue 14, a 7.08-mill operating issue will generate $5.5
million annually for 5 consecutive years. The emergency levy would cost
roughly $18 per month for the owner of $100,000 in property valuation.
Issue 14 will drive Groveport Madison in a new direction if residents support the initiative.
The
measure would generate the dollars needed for day-to-day expenses, such
as, but not limited to, salaries, instructional materials, books,
equipment, utilities and fuel for buses.
An Election Day victory would preserve current programming and open doors to new opportunities (see more here).
Passage would also put Groveport Madison on the path to financial
stability as it faces a deficit each of the next five years. In fact, it
has to borrow from cash advances now.
No
new money has been approved since 2009. Even if the measure passes,
Groveport Madison's collection rate would be the second lowest of all 19
districts in Franklin County.
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Board offers community promises
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The Board of Education recently passed a resolution to help voters understand the urgency of Tuesday's ballot initiative.
If voters support Issue 14 at the polls, the Board promises not to return to the ballot for five years for operating dollars.
The
Board also discussed a "fiscal stability plan" that would save $2.1
million annually regardless of the levy outcome and steps to take should
the levy fail. The Board will vote on the specifics at its May 16
meeting.
The
district will work toward eliminating the $2.1 million by redefining
some of the school attendance boundaries at the elementary level,
creating three middle schools for grades 6-8 and reconfiguring the
associated K-8 transportation routes. The move would be implemented
regardless of the election's outcome on Tuesday.
The
district would have to trim an additional $2.6 from the budget if Issue
14 is rejected. Those dollars would come from reducing staff positions
(physical education teachers and media specialists), the elimination of
high school busing and consolidation of some sports and extracurriculars
into club-level activities not funded by Groveport Madison Schools.
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