Myths and facts regarding Tiffin City School’s levies

Taxpayers in the Tiffin City School District are being asked to approve two permanent improvement levies on the Nov. 6 ballot. One levy is a five-year, 1-mill renewal, which is not a new tax, and the other is a five-year, 0.8-mill additional levy. If approved, the funds collected from these levies will be used to maintain facilities and to provide our students with access to reliable technology and safe buses.

As superintendent of the Tiffin City Schools, I’d like to take this opportunity to explain why I believe these levies are necessary and, in fact, a good investment for local taxpayers.

It is not uncommon when people are asked to support tax levies that in addition to facts, misconceptions and incorrect information sometimes are shared by well-meaning citizens.

Ohio’s school funding process is not easy to understand because, quite frankly, it sometimes defies common sense. Although I work with the system every day, I often wonder how the Ohio Legislature has allowed a rather simple concept to become so confusing.

To explain why these levies are needed, I will use a “myth” or “fact” format. As you prepare to vote Nov. 6, I hope you will study this information and think about what your vote will mean not only to the school district but to the Tiffin community.

Myth: The administration will use this money to increase the salaries and fringe benefits of our public school employees.

Fact: By law, permanent improvement money only can be used to make improvements to school property or to purchase items that last five years or more. These funds cannot be used to pay salaries and fringe benefits.

In reality, all of our taxpayers have a vested interest in this school system. After all, you own the buildings, computers and buses. They were purchased with your money. Voting “yes” for these levies supports the investment you have already made in this school district.

The advantage of permanent improvement money to a taxpayer is you know exactly how the money will be spent. Regardless of who is on the board or who is the superintendent, two “yes” votes Nov. 6 will guarantee that, for at least five years, money will be available to maintain facilities, purchase one new bus per year and provide technology equipment for our students.

Myth: Voters have rejected a five-year, 1.5-mill additional permanent improvement levy twice this year. Now the board members want us to approve two levies that equal 1.8 mills. Are they serious?

Fact: The 1-mill renewal levy first was approved in 1978. Ohio law does not allow levies to grow with inflation. As property values increase, the millage rate is reduced so the levy collects the amount of money originally approved by the voters.

For a homeowner, the 1-mill renewal levy actually only is collecting at 0.47 mills. So, although it appears the combined levies add up to 1.8 mills, they actually will collect at 1.27 mills — which will bring in less money than the previously requested 1.5-mill levy.

Myth: The school district built a “palace” for a middle school and now it doesn’t have enough money to maintain it. Therefore, they are asking us for more money.

Fact: Voters approved a 23-year, 0.5-mill maintenance levy when the bond issue was passed to build the new middle school. The 1-mill renewal levy maintains all of our other facilities. The middle school is in great shape and will continue to be maintained with its own funds. Our frustration is the state refuses to allow us to use middle school maintenance funds for any of our other buildings or for any technology equipment. We even went through the legal system to get the rules changed, but our attempts to do so were unsuccessful.

The middle school is a beautiful facility that was completed on time and under budget. It reflects your commitment to children and education.

Myth: If the district wouldn’t keep buying houses, they would have plenty of money for permanent improvement projects.

Fact: As part of the middle school project through the Ohio School Facilities Commission, money was set aside in a fund to purchase properties at the middle school building site. Money used to purchase properties in the last three years came from the remaining balance in that fund and the properties purchased were part of the overall district-wide plan approved by the OSFC. The fund balance now is at zero and no plans are in place to purchase additional properties.

Myth: There is no reason to vote “yes” for these levies because the state of Ohio will solve the school funding problem.

Fact: The court case that said the way the state of Ohio funds public schools is unconstitutional began shortly after I first became a public school superintendent. That was 15 years ago and I’m still waiting for a major change to take place in the basic way schools are funded. It hasn’t happened. I don’t anticipate it will happen anytime soon.

In fact, the state has reduced the amount of money it provides us to purchase technology equipment from $392,411 in 1999 to $17,958 in 2007. The state also has reduced the amount of money it provides us to purchase school buses from $37,005 in 2000 to $6,670 in 2006. If the state had not reduced these amounts, we only would need to ask voters to approve the renewal levy.

State funding is not going to effectively help us maintain buildings, replace outdated technology equipment or replace old buses with new ones. Consequently, the responsibility to protect these investments becomes a local issue. I ask you to give these requests serious consideration.

Thank you.