To those voters who voted Yes for the August levy. Yes you may say why don't we make it 6 mils why not 7 mils. To you I say, the school does accept donations. If you are in a hurry and want to pay the additional funds that a 7 mil levy would generate (that is $220.50 per $100,000.00 market value), then by all means go ahead and donate that money now so the school can use it. However, I would make them sign in writing that the money is going to permanent improvement or purchasing computers. Otherwise the money will move quicker than lightning to Salaries, Benefits or Retirement funds. Once you put it in the General Funds it's up for grabs for whatever they want to use it for.

Again, for all of you who did vote yes, please donate the additional money you would have paid to support our students. You really don't have to wait until the levy passes if you want the school to get that extra money.

I attend every school board meeting and would love to see the board accept those donations and let us know what fund they are dedicating it to.

In addition to blaming the voters who voted NO on the levy. It wasn't the voters who decided what to eliminate. The list was designed and assembled by the Schools Administration, and was voted upon and approved by three board members to go ahead with his recommendation. Two board members, Ms. Hanish and Mr. Grimm voted against the issue and wer overruled by the other three. The Administration picked these particular items to make the community feel guilty. It IS NOT the fault of the community but the judgement and failure of those who we have placed in that postition to decide for us that let their community down.

Do some research and visit the auditors web site. Go to board meetings religiously and consecutively for 4 years or more, ask the Schools Administration for Expense and Revenue Reports that show where the money comes from and where it goes penny by penny. visti the school and see what little these students have to work with. Pop in unexpected and take a tour of the high school. Look back in 2004 when they promised pass this levy for excellence and two years later now the pass this levy for excellence has risen again. If the last levy didn't get excellence across the board, this I don't think this one will either.

I don't know where to begin but truth be told, the citizens who voted NO were thinking of nothing but the children and the Seniors of our community.

I am sorry the Real Estate agent feels that if people in our community can't afford their houses they should move. Well, when they first purchased these houses and were working at the local plants and factories, they were able to afford the houses readily at the same time raising their families of 5 to 10 kids. Amazing. Now we have couples that either can't afford a single child to couples who children who have already grown. On the flip side, the retirement funds these factory workers relied upon fell through and many are not receiving the funds they had anticipated. They also could not forsee the future and the rise of medical and medicine and the reduction in those payments by medicare. Unfortunately, these Seniors are not as clairvoyant and psychic as this agent. Let me apologize for them. I'm Sorry.
It is how the money is spent. The Administration convinced the Board to purchase land and place it on a ballot. Voters trusted, voters approved. Later we found the land was unsuitalble to build a school. So we traded for more land that is pretty much the same way. Remember the Seniors, the ones who used to hunt on the property we traded for, some of them very prominent in this community for the past 50+ years, say the land is covered in swamp. Hmmmm. Adminstration also supported this. Did you know, the Administration and Particular Board members released information concerning a lawsuit and cost the taxpayers the cost of a $900,000 to pay a $740,000.00 judgement against them. Have you noticed by way of the State Auditors web site that the Board Expenses increase every year. Have you noticed that before the failure of the August Levy, the computer expense was coming out of Operating Expenses and is now coming out of Permanent Improvement? We are contracting out to Kevin Coleman and an Organization out of Ravenna for Psycologists? Why do we have them on site and paying a wage and medical benefits when we can outsource this service? The service cost the School District $11,000.00 a year per company and one On-Site Psycologist costs $72,000.00+ a year plus benefits.
The problem with the school is we have too many staff members (non-IEP) assistants (the school cannot under state law eliminate the IEP Assistants), A few too many teachers, few too many administrators, and we have little or no tools or materials to produce a supeior products.
To take the Administration view (they consider students raw material). Well if a company cannot receive raw materials, they can't produce a product. If they have the raw materials and do not have the materials or tools to convert the raw product, then the product they produce will be inferior. Our train of thought is increase the money for management, reduce the money we spend to receive raw materials, and let's greatly reduce the money needed for building repairs and the tools and materials (computers, books and other training aids), to produce a superior product. Since immigrants are working the fields and warehousing jobs that are left, and since we our outsourcing intellectual jobs to India, and labor, service and factory jobs to China, I guess if we can achieve an excellent rating for meeting state minimum standards in educating the students it is all well worth it.

Well not to me. I believe if done properly the school can reduce the Salaries and Benefits down to 65% of total revenue, and increase percentages to computers and repairs. Most companies plan to cut expenses every year between 10-30%. Intel, Goodyear and many others have released top executives and middle management to trim the expense and streamline the company to better efficiency and profits. We can do the same and the profit will be students graduating high above the state minimum standard they set and give you an excellent rating for if a high percentage of the students pass. Our school system since this testing began has yet to reach excellent across the board for the whole district. Aurora has done it for the last 6 years in a row.
Currently salaries and benefits make up 85% of the schools revenue. I believe, within the next ten years that sum will be closer to 95%. That means even less money for materials and tools. The average cost to send a student to high school around $650.00 a year directly out of the parents pocket. Contribut that rising cost to Salaries and benefits. The current levy they want to pass will generate $160.00 a year for each $100,000.00 evaluation of your home. The County Auditor can explain this to you if you want. Ask them what the tax is on a 5.1 mil levy and they will tell you. The current emergency levy expires the end of December, and if the November levy doesn't pass, your property taxes will drop by $98.00 per $100,000.00 valuation of your home for 2008. The loss of the money the school will experience is only 8% of their budget. I do want to support our schools. However, does anybody realize the children themselves are the school. I am willing to support the students with funding. I mean computers, books, tools to learn with and other instructional materials. All the things they currently don't have. They really don't have the computers because the ones they have are old, outdated, software outdated and reliablity is just about down the tubes. I will support a levy that is heavy in favor of providing the students with computers, materials, and tools to include the repair of the facilities all around. I believe the students should have a a safe environment and I believe they should have the tools accomplish great achievements. It is about time the school district and the citizens of our community push to work towards providing the money we put into the coffers to go to the students. If we pass the levy, it is telling the Administration and Board we feel comfortable with what little our children and future citizens have to learn with. Don't let our children down, voting No on the levy will hopefully encourage our Administration and Board to do the right thing by the children of this community and get the money back to them in terms of tools (computers), materials and equipment.

Generally I always support the schools. They do have an affect on the housing values. I'm not going to compare ourselve to beachwood or solon unless I can see an average income comparison of its population. Again, I'm not sure if the tail wags the dog.

This I do know.
My neighbors 5 year old is eligible to ride the bus because she is within the 2 mile limit. However, she is the only one alllowed to board the bus. Any other childeren that are not of that household are not allowed to board the bus.

It stands to reason that the same amount of gas is used to propell the bus through its course. With carpooling and gasoline prices I would think that the most economically way of running the buses would be to fill the empty seats.......but then, the real effect of cutting busing is to try to "knife" the parents and NOT to save money.

Also if the Nov. ballot loses.....It will be on the ballot again and again and again until it passes.

when was the last time you saw a school levy win and then get put back on the ballot to see if it will lose.

Mr. Spongebob,

I read your post and agreed if not appreciated some of your statements or arguments.

1. Real Estate taxes are not the fairest way to support our schools. Renter's are not included with the burden but reap the benefits. Families that send their children to private school are hit twice and a company that owns a multifamily property has to shoulder higher taxes that may not be able to be recouped in increased rental rates etc.

I am appalled by the threats made and kept by the school board and Superintendant holding busing over the voters head with no promise of reinstatment if the levy passes in November. If there is no intent to reinstate busing, they should subtract the cost of busing for the 07-08 school year off the amount they are looking to get approved.

Changes in leadership may be the answer but I am too new to this community to know if that is the answer.

The levy would have cost each home owner less than $20.00 per month and even in Bikini Bottom that is not alot of money. I assure you the foreclosue rate in Streetsboro does not play a factor in this equation.

The lose of good jobs in Ohio is of an entirely different set of problems we need to deal with but should not factor a community's decision to supoort it' school system.

Home values and the strength of a community is largely based on the success and record of it's schools. Look and Beachwood, Solon, Orange. Their home values are high and have maintained and increase in equity and value. Their school system's year in and year out perform extremely well.

Craine's Business Magazine had an article in a July 2007 edition that spoke on foreclosures and how many happen to be in these communities. Property values have stayed up and the schools remain the best in NE Ohio.

I cannot remark on public schools BEING A BUSINESS. Cetainly private schools are. However a vote against an operating levy that takes away busing or prevents nescessary repairs from taking place is a failure to the children of the community. Kids that have to walk up to two miles to school and back each days is a failure to the children. G_d forbid something tragic should happen to a child because of this decision by the voters of Streetsboro.

One day Ohio will hopefully change its way of doing things and we will join the 45 other states in supporting our schools via the sales tax but we will one day be put in a similar situation when we are asked to increase the sales tax to assure busing, repairs to the schools, and funds to support the different programs we offer our children. Will you support the children then Mr. Spongebob?

It stands to reason..those who make a fair-to-good living will argue for the levy because children are a priority.....those who barely make a living cannot afford it and have to vote it down or their childern will not have a place to live.

How many homes are going into forclosures in Streetsboro?
How many Tax Abatements have been granted to business'?

It's a fact that the a Levy will pass eventually because there is no such thing as a "NO" vote.

45 states in America use sales tax to support the schools. Ohio has to beg their citizens for money.
Streetsborodoesnotcare said that it is wrong to use propery taxes to fund schooling....how do we change it?

Also, the parents of kids going to private schools are hit twice. Once by the school and once by the other school

Also, by using the defense "We are deserting our Kids" is not a viable argument for the school board. SCHOOL IS A BUSINESS.

P.S. me hopes me grammar is not to neanderthal. their are some "challenged" folks out their.

P.s.s That. was . A good one about tha "I cantt READ ur lips" me liked it.

disclaimer:
If the reader of this message is insulted or hurt in anyway, you are hereby notified that any
injuries are not reimbursed. Likewise, any reply that is hurtfull or makes me cry will be deleted and communication will strictly be prohibited. If you have received this communication in error, please contact the sender immediately and destroy the material in its entirety, whether electronic or hard copy.

Thank you.

ATTN: julie5399

Selling the land would be an option, but it would only be a 1 year solution. What happens next year when the money from the sold land is gone? We would be in a worse situation because not only would we be down the money, but we would also have sold off the future of the school district. In essence, that would just make a bad situation worse. A single year influx of cash will not help the school district, so the selling of the land would not be a solution

Attn: Streetsborodoesnotcare....Question: If the schools are that desprate for money then why swap land when they could of sold it or auction it off to the highest bidder?

No need to hope Theo, it's right in my post. Read and be comforted.

INFO

Q. Someone I met at the donut shop told me that the school district spends money lavishly. Is that true?



A. Streetsboro schools last year spent about $9,000 per student, according to Ohio Department of Education data. That is 1% below the State average. Streetsboro's location near the big cities of Northeastern Ohio make it a more costly place to do business than in more rural parts of the State. Streetsboro no longer is a rural community. Remember, the average spending number includes data for all school districts, including those in less costly rural areas.

Meanwhile, your schools offer excellent programs that simply are not available in other school districts, even in this area. Neighboring districts, for example, charge parents $2,000 per child for full-day every-day kindergarten. The parent cost in Streetsboro is $0 per child. In Streetsboro, you get more for your money. It's that simple.

Just a quote from on of our fine presidents, but you knew that didnt you?
I sure hope so.
NO NEW TAXES PLEASE FOLKS?