Dover voters asked to approve levy

Dover City Schools has placed an emergency operating levy on the Nov. 6 ballot. This request comes after 10 years of stretching the funds from the last operating levy passed in 2008. The new levy will generate $3,357,000 per year for five years.

“Asking for additional funding is never easy, but it is necessary if we want to continue to provide the excellent opportunities we offer to our Dover students,” Board President Steve Mastin said.

The district has spent 22 percent per student below the state average while responding to external pressures beyond the district’s control. Reductions in state funding levels including the elimination of the tangible personal property tax replacement funds that the state had previously provided have all negatively impacted the district’s revenue.

Dover spends $8,562 per pupil to educate students. This is the lowest in Tuscarawas County and 18 percent below the state average of $10,445, according to the school district.

Statewide, Dover is among the 20 percent of public districts with the lowest operating expenditures per pupil.

This need is unrelated to the new high school project, which is funded by a bond levy approved by voters in 2016. Those funds cannot be used for day-to-day operating needs such as teachers in the classroom, technology, utilities or transportation.

“Our community is valued in many ways because of our excellent schools,” Superintendent Carla Birney said. “Now we find ourselves at a crossroads. We can either seek additional funding to preserve our current operations or reduce our programs and services.”

According to Tuscarawas County Auditor Larry Lindberg, the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 house $311.50 per year.

Funding from the levy will be used for day-to-day operations including maintaining technology to prepare students for college and the workforce, preserving current staff levels, and providing additional resources to enhance safety in the schools.

“Placing a levy on the ballot is a critical decision for our schools and community,” Mastin said. “Our plan is to work with our residents and taxpayers to communicate what’s at stake this fall.”

Treasurer Marsha Clark will submitted the request to the Tuscarawas County Auditor’s Office. If approved by the auditor, the board would vote a final time later this month to place the issue on the November ballot.