Stow-Munroe Falls Schools to place emergency levy on ballot

Voters in the Stow-Munroe Falls City School District will be asked in the Nov. 8 election to approve a 10-year levy.

During a May 23 school board meeting, the resolution was introduced to set off school district emergency expenses that state, federal and local tax revenues would not cover.

“COVID-19 impacted our revenue as well as expenditures," Superintendent Tom Bratten said. "We strive to maintain lean operations while providing our students a well-rounded education that prepares them for their future."

The Summit County auditor advised the board that an estimated annual levy of 6.93 mills for each $1 of valuation, which is 69.33 cents for each $100 of valuation, is necessary to reach the $8 million needed.

During a July 6 meeting, the board approved adding an emergency tax levy to the ballot in the amount of $7.92 million over 10 years and submitting it during the upcoming election. If passed in November, the cost estimate for a homeowner of a $100,000 home is around $242 per year.

Funding from the levy, if passed, will maintain daily operations, including teachers and staff, programs and utilities. The last operating levy passed was in 2011, meaning the district has been working with the same monies for more than a decade.

“It’s in the best interest of the district and taxpayers that we start with securing operating funds, especially while construction costs remain high,” Bratten said.

The board also discussed the Master Facilities Plan. Over the past three years, the district has been meeting with the community to discuss a long-term master plan to address aging facilities. The commitment to the plan remains, the board said, but members agree it’s important to secure operating funds to ensure fiscal stability to the operating budget.

“Stow-Munroe has a lower tax rate than similarly sized districts in the area, and we’ve recently made reductions across the district to stretch our dollars,” Bratten said. “This ballot issue will help us maintain the level of education and services our community expects from our schools.”

Reporter Molly Walsh can be reached at mwalsh@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Stow-Munroe Falls Schools places emergency levy on ballot for Nov. 8 election