FAIRVIEW PARK, Ohio — Staffing and transportation are just two of the things on the line for Fairview Park City Schools if the district doesn't pass a levy this November.
"It’s uncertain times, we have a pandemic so I feel like you can’t count anything out,” said Helen Weeber. Her kids love the district and she’s working hard to make sure the schools have everything they need.
Weeber wants the Fairview Park City Schools levy to pass because she wants her kids and others in the district to have extracurricular activities among other things.
"I have students that love ski club, that want to participate in stage crafters that are hoping to do a sport,” said Weeber.
The district says extracurricular activities won’t be the only thing on the chopping block if they don’t get Issue 72 passed.
It says it will also have to make cuts to staff, athletics, and transportation.
"Even the thought of teachers being let go, transportation being reduced, extracurricular activities being canceled the day after the election that would be devastating,” said parent Curtis Danburgh. “Can’t even imagine the conversation we’re going to have in our home with our senior and our eighth grader.”
If the levy passes, every homeowner in Fairview Park would have to pay an additional $23.04 per month per $100,000 home evaluation.
"This past year alone, we’ve already cut a million dollars from our operating budget so we’re running pretty lean right now and there would be a deficit if this does not pass,” said Joslyn Dalton, a member of the Fairview Park Board of Education.
The district says it hasn’t asked residents for a "new" levy for operating costs for 14 years, and while that’s true, residents against the levy say it doesn’t feel like it.
An emergency levy was passed in 2003, and renewed in 2008, 2012 and again in 2018. The district also passed a bond and permanent improvement levy in 2016.
"It’s increased money for homeowners, it increases their property taxes, it is a tax that never goes down regardless of how long the levy is on there,” said one Fairview Park resident.
All of the residents News 5 spoke to who are not voting for the levy, want to remain anonymous.
One gentleman says he just can’t afford this.
"What they should have done was 12 years ago give us a 3 mill and a couple years later give us another three mill and give us another. To come through with this is outrageous,” he said.
Fairview Park residents will learn the school's fate soon enough.
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