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BELOIT-- West Branch Local School District residents voted against an earned income tax Tuesday night, setting into effect a series of cuts to help balance the budget.
Voters turned down the .5 percent earned income tax by a margin of 3,036 (59.2 percent) to 2,092 (40.8 percent), according to complete but unofficial results. Columbiana County voters defeated it by a margin of 1,427 (57 percent) to 1,078 (43 percent), while Mahoning County voters defeated it 1,609 (61 percent) to 1,014 (38 percent).
The levy would have generated $850,000 annually for five years to help avoid an operating deficit predicted in the district's five-year financial forecast. The operating deficit is projected to lead to a cash balance deficit of $753,000 in the fourth year and over $1.8 million in the fifth.
Last month, the school board approved the creation of participation fees of $100 for athletics, $75 for middle school athletics, $35 for high school musicals/plays, $25 for high school clubs (covering participation in all clubs) and $20 for middle school clubs (covering participation in all clubs). Maximum fees will be $225 per year for one student, $400 per year for a family.
The fees are to take effect this week for the winter sports season.
The board also agreed to reduce busing to the state minimum if the levy fails. Action will include the elimination of all transportation to students in grades nine through 12, all transportation to students in grades kindergarten through eight who live within two miles of their assigned school building, all transportation to students who require special education services except as required by law, all transportation for open-enrollment students and all transportation for students who attend non-public and community schools unless otherwise required by law.
The new busing is scheduled to begin after winter break on Jan. 2.
Schools Superintendent Timothy Saxton has also recommended further reductions in staff based on a performance audit completed by the state auditor's office in July 2017. Saxton said in September if the levy failed he would recommend staff reductions for the 2019-2020 school year including two administrative and/or supervisory positions ($123,000), one technology staff position ($59,200), six bus routes/drivers ($189,000), six teaching positions ($273,000), one psychologist and one speech pathologist position ($163,900) and one guidance counselor position ($52,000) for a total of $860,100. The district has already reduced personnel by 13 positions and eliminated the building aide positions through attrition and reduction in force, as well as suspended the bus purchasing program, based on the audit's findings.
Saxton said Tuesday night that the administrative team has to regroup following the defeat.
"The levy committee, board of education and administrative team are obviously saddened by the results of the levy," he said. "The board and I, along with the treasurer, will discuss the results and determine our course of action moving forward."
Saxton praised the work of the levy committee, but said there is still work to do to express the need for the levy.
"I believe the committee did a great job of getting information out to our community; however, it's important for the majority of folks to see our need, and that just didn't happen," he said. "We will re-group, re-examine the data and push forward in our initiative to persuade the 'no' voters that an investment in the WBLSD is of great importance for our students and the community as a whole."
khowell@salemnews.net