Part of this question is related to why we need to keep going to our community for support on school funding. We are dependent on raising money locally (86% of our budget) because of the relative wealth of our community. We asked for support two years ago and we are now back on the ballot for the operating support necessary to run the district. In 2012, the school board selected a smaller millage for the levy portion of the ballot issue to reduce the burden on local taxpayers, while asking the community to hold us accountable. The levy portion that was approved in 2012 is a fixed dollar amount and does not change, despite increasing enrollment and costs.

 

The new 1-8 Learning Facility is paid for by the bond from 2012. That money is dedicated to the building project and costs associated with it. Because of the way taxes and funding work, those funds cannot be used for operating expenses.

 

Our district continues to grow with the addition of more students each year. The costs associated with programming, materials, staffing, health care, and utility costs - what it takes to run the district - continues to rise. The levy covers these increased costs. Without it, we will need to make major cuts.

 

Additionally, the Permanent Improvement portion of this levy is meant to fund necessary improvements to existing buildings, parking lots and other property on campus. The district has projected a ten year plan for our current and future needs that this levy will help address. Click here to read the Permanent Improvement Plan that was completed in May 2014.

 

 

Due to the nature of school funding in Ohio, levies in New Albany have occurred on a regular basis as we've continue to grow and fixed costs have risen.