Voters in the Marietta and Wolf Creek school districts will see on their Primary Election ballots requests for renewal levies.
That means taxpayers already are paying on the levies and the school districts are asking voters to continue with the much needed revenue. The need for local monies can't be overstated.
In Marietta, voters will consider two issues. The first is a five-year, 7.75-mill levy that generates more than $3.8 million a year. It's money that's currently covering expenses such as supplies and utility bills, along with employee salaries and benefits. Renewal of the levy will help keep the district in the black through 2016. Without it, the district would experience a shortfall as early as 2014. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home is just over $237.
Marietta voters will also consider the renewal of a five-year, 2.69-mill permanent improvement levy. It generates more than $1.1 million a year and is being used for replacing roofs and boilers, installing security cameras and equipment at the high school and middle school and repairing parking lots and playgrounds. This money cannot be used for salaries, and also covers the cost of books and buses. The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home is just over $82.
In the Wolf Creek school district, voters are being asked to renew a five-year emergency levy that generates more than $781,000 a year for the district. Part of the money is set aside for building improvements, such as the need for new roofs at the high school and elementary school in the near future. The rest is used for day-to-day operating expenses.
The cost to the owner of a $100,000 home is about $176.
Any voter who has questions about how school districts manage their money still has time to call school officials and ask. We encourage anyone with questions to do just that. We believe our schools do a good job of managing with less. These are not requests for additional money, but requests to continue current funding levels. As such, we urge voters of both districts to vote yes on the school issues Tuesday.
