LORAIN — Lorain school board members said they were not in favor of placing a new levy before voters in February.

Although no official vote was taken at a special meeting to discuss the levy Tuesday night, each board member spoke against asking voters to pass a levy just three months after they rejected one, and instead favored putting the levy on the May ballot.

An 8.66-mill levy that would bring in $5.7 million over five years is what voters will be deciding on once the school board chooses when to put it on the ballot. It’s considerably larger than the 6.43-mill levy that was rejected by more than 6,000 votes earlier this month. That levy would have brought in $4.6 million at a cost of $16 a month for the owner of a $100,000 home.

The new proposed levy would cost an estimated $22 a month for a $100,000 home.

Citing the need for additional time to make their case to the public, board members said February was too soon to place the levy before voters.

“It makes more sense to do it that way so we can paint a clear picture of what the district will look like if it passes and what it will look like if it doesn’t,” said board member Jim Smith.

The levy, which would bring in about $2.8 million for half the year in 2011, would still only scratch the surface of a
$9 million deficit the district will face that year.

An additional $6.2 million would still need to be cut from the budget, and proposals from Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson to do that include closing down one of the high schools, layoffs and eliminating preschool.

“That list may grow even larger,” said board member Tony Dimacchia. “The bottom line is the school district needs to pass a levy. Obviously, it’s not enough to get us out of the mess we’re in.”

Tuesday’s meeting was called so the board could hear from residents about the idea of putting another levy before voters.

Only seven of the more than 50 people who attended the meeting addressed the board, but many came with advice for how the district can finally get a locally funded, new money levy passed — something it hasn’t done in 18 years.

Melanie Williams, who recently took one of her two children out of the district, said she didn’t receive one phone call from anyone associated with the school system asking her why she did it.

The district needs to do a better job connecting with the community, she said, and helping people understand why it deserves new money.

“You do that and you’ll have more money than you know what to do with,” she said.

Mark Jones, a graduate from the school district, does consulting work for failing businesses and said the first thing he asks business owners he works with is to take a look at the product they’re putting out to see if changes need to be made there first.

“I’m sure you have a great educational system now, but there’s a perception out there that it’s not a safe environment or that you’re not putting out a good product,” he said.

Jones said the district would be wise to market itself better and to promote the levy not as necessity to keep the district afloat, but explain why it benefits the community to have a thriving school system.

“I voted for the levy, but I felt admonished if I wouldn’t have,” he said. “Show me the benefits. Show me how an active school system benefits me.”

The school board will vote on the issue in the coming weeks.

Read more

• High schools on the chopping block in Lorain.
• Levy needed, but it won’t be enough, school board says.
• Anger remains from 1996 closing of Elyria West.

Contact Adam Wright at 329-7155 or awright@chroniclet.com.

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