School levy fails again

by Laura Bednar

The Nordonia Hills City School District failed again in passing a levy at the polls on Nov. 5. Issue 30 was a 5-mill levy, providing 4 mills for district operations and 1 mill for permanent improvements. Taxpayers would have paid $175 for each $100,000 of county-appraised property value. There were 10,904 votes (56.42%) against the levy and 8,423 votes (43.58%) in favor, according to unofficial results from the Summit County Board of Elections.

The district proposed a levy with the same millage in March, which failed with 5,466 votes (65.22%) against the levy and 2,915 votes (34.78%) in favor.

“While we are disappointed by the outcome, I respect the community’s decision and appreciate the feedback from our residents. As we move forward, the board of education and I will meet to discuss our next steps in addressing the district’s financial challenges,” said Superintendent Casey Wright. “Over the past two years, we have already implemented $2.16 million in budget cuts across various areas, working hard to minimize the impact on our students. However, additional cuts will be necessary, and these may affect student programs, lead to larger class sizes and eliminate opportunities for students. Our priority remains to provide quality education while responsibly managing our resources.”

Issue 39 for the North Hills Water District levy passed with 5,415 votes (59.32%) in favor and 3,713 votes (40.68%) against. The issue renewed the existing levy and decreased it by .05 mills, from .5 mills to .45 mills. Taxpayers will pay $16 for each $100,000 of appraised property value and the levy will be in place for 10 years. ∞