February 28, 2000
H-L hopes third attempt at levy charms voters
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
They needed just one more vote last November.
Voters in the Hopewell-Loudon School district voted a tie in the general election of 1999, 752 for and 752 against an issue that would have given the school up to $172,000 in fiscal year 2003. Yet school district officials are hoping that extra votes will come through on March 7 to pass the 0.25-percent income tax for permanent improvements.
Greg Siebenaller, board president, also is serving as the income tax levy chairman this election.
"We know that the average number of 'no' votes is pretty constant,'' Siebenaller said. "We just hope that folks realize that their vote counts and is important. And if they really support the levy and the schools, they need to step up to the polls on Tuesday and show support for our schools.''
This is the third time the tax has come before the voters, asking for the funds needed to repair and improve the school building and grounds. The funds can not be used for salaries or program needs according to state law; only repairs and improvements to the physical plant, or equipment, can be made with that tax allotment.
"We are trying to be proactive and maintain the investment that the folks in the district have made to our school building over the years,'' Siebenaller said. "Money from our general operating budget that we have set aside for maintenance, combined with the money from the levy, can make sure that we keep the school in proper repair.
"And we need to be able to upgrade the infrastructure for the technology that we now have in the schools. We hope folks realize that we need to take care of the school.''
Some of the work includes patching crumbling plaster, replacing boilers, repairing roofs, removing asbestos in the auditorium and updating the school's phone system and classroom technology.
Treasurer Jane Fruth said that unfortunately, the way the state figures it, the district is not listed on the Ohio School Facilities Commission list of schools to receive building aid for at least 10 years.
"And even then, we will have to pay 60 percent of our bill,'' Fruth said. "We are not like our neighbors, we are different. We have a higher valuation per pupil.''
She explained why the district is so much better off than its rural neighbors.
"We have our own utilities and the growth on the west end of Tiffin. We have had some new industry; some have had the taxes abated, but some have not and we have had that for a number of years,'' she said.
Fruth cited the elimination of the personal property or inventory tax as another action from the state legislature that will hurt them, saying that it will total $150,000 over the 25 years it is being phased out. And the recent property reappraisals in Seneca County came at a bad time for any school district on the ballot this spring.
And if it does not pass this time,"everything just gets more expensive,'' Fruth said. "We already spend less per pupil in this school district,'' she added. "Out of the 611 school districts in this state, there are only 10 who spend less per pupil than Hopewell-Loudon. We are very efficient but the needs of the school will not go away.''
Levy campaign workers are hoping a last minute push will help them over the edge on election day.
"We are trying to get things in the newsletter, but the decision by the committee was to go more word of mouth,'' Siebenaller said. "And we have a postcard going out this week and we will have a phone campaign.''
"We think the word is out there,'' he added. "This is the third time we have been at the polls and nothings really changed.''
"Every voter makes their own decision based on their circumstances,'' Siebenaller said. "We think we have a reasonable plan to upgrade the facility with the funds we have proposed.''