Levies Pass And Fail Simultaneously

BY LAURA RICHEY
Nov. 8, 2007

Nearly 60 percent of Middletown voters approved the school district's $4 million levy renewal Tuesday, with 53 percent rejecting an additional $1.5 million new levy.

As a result, students who wish to participate in winter sports will have to pay to play throughout the district's 12 schools due to the failure of the additional $1.5 million levy. The increase would have covered inflation rates the district faces. Coach salaries were cut earlier this year.

Bus services and a full school day will be restored as a result of the renewal. Transportation and class hours were cut earlier this year due to failures of levies in May and again in August.

Bus services require staggered school starting and ending times with at least 45 minutes between each “tier”. The three-tier schedule will require the addition of at least one band teacher since the district cannot cover classes currently scheduled due to the overlap of class time created by the tiers.

While full-day class schedules will be reinstated in elementary schools Nov. 26, the high school and middle school students will not see full days of class until Jan. 22, the first day of the spring semester.

Superintendent Steve Price said he credits the passage of the levy renewal to the Board of Educations decision to separate the levy issues after combined issues failed earlier this year.

“The board has the difficult decision of identifying $1.5 million of these core services and programs that we won’t be able to restore at least in the short run,” Price said.

Board members met Wednesday morning to begin restoring some cuts based on community input. In addition to busing and the longer school day the board wants funds for support positions as well as extracurricular activities according to Price.

“We’ll bring back as much as we possibly can,” he said.

Although not certain, the district may opt to put the $1.5 million levy back on the ballot in the March primaries. If so, the request must be made by the middle of December.

“I am not in favor of putting the increase on the March ballot,” Board of Education member Marcia Andrews said. “People are tired of levies and we need to let the community know their voice has been heard.”

Since both the renewal and additional levies failed earlier this year, some Middletown students have turned to community contributions while others paid $325 out-of-pocket to participate in extra curricular activities such as sports, drama club and band.

“We will not fully reinstate extra curricular activities,” said Board of Education President, John Venturella.

Students wishing to participate in winter sports face a fee of $225, which is due Thursday at 4p.m. The fee is reduced by $100 compared to the fall semester. The district was able to reduce that fee with $200,000 in reallocated general funds and by relying on volunteer coaches.

“To reduce sport fees to $225 is a short-term solution,” Andrews said. “We can’t go back. Nothing has changed to merit paying coaches.”

While some coaches volunteer their services in the fall, others will not be able to return to the district in the Spring, feeling the financial crunch.

Price said the board cannot please everyoneall of the time in Middletown.

“We have found creative ways to make cuts,” Price said. “Without the additional $1.5 million, there will be some people in some sector of the community who will not be happy,” he said.

Happy or not, citizens are asked not to solicit donations from community members to play sports.

“Students should not go out asking for donations,” Price said. “Anyone wishing to donate funds for sports should contribute to the 543 committee.”

Board of Education members face the long term challenges in the upcoming months.

“How to pay coaches and administrative positions is what we are grappling with now,” Price said.