Garaway Local School District is asking voters to approve 2 levies

Garaway Local School District is asking voters to approve two levies in the upcoming primary election. Voters will decide whether to pass a 5.8-mill substitute levy and a 3-mill emergency levy on May 8.

The 5.8-mill substitute levy is a renewal of an emergency levy passed in 2009. Residents will not see any additional taxes if this levy is passed. The 5.8 mills is a decrease from the 9 mills passed in 2009. This levy establishes a certain amount of revenue to be collected each year, so when more people move into the district, each property owner pays slightly less.

According to Garaway, “By capturing the tax on new homes and businesses, it will help minimize the number of times the district has to go back to the ballot.”

The money from this levy will account for 12 percent of the schools operating cost.

The Homestead and Rollback Credits will remain in place for senior citizens. This exemption allows both senior citizens and disabled Ohioans a credit on their property tax by allowing their home value to be lowered for tax purposes.

Garaway Superintendent Dr. Jim Millet described it as a way to keep people on a fixed income from being overburdened in taxes.

The 3-mill emergency levy is intended to raise a fixed sum of $750,000 annually to cover a budget shortfall. The money from this levy is expected to cover projected deficits expected because of general inflationary costs.

“We still left us a little short based on what we’re forecasting,” Millet said.

He said many local businesses and individuals have contributed to the school in the past, and he hopes for that to continue in the future.

Millet pointed out that a recent project to install artificial turf on the high school football field was funded without using any taxpayer dollars.

“The entire project was funded by businesses and community members,” he said. “I’m really proud of the businesses in the community.”

The district did not ask for the total amount of the shortfall because they plan on being conservative with the fund and don’t want to overburden the community.

Millet said the district having four elementary schools with two principals between them is an example of Garaway being good stewards of taxpayer dollars. This isn’t a necessity because of tight finances but something that has been in practice for many years and works well for the small district. He explained both principals are able to be at both of their schools each day, maintain a good presence and are helped out by senior teaching staff.

The goal of asking for the fund sooner instead of later is to get ahead of the shortfall. The levy should provide enough operating revenue and capture taxes from new homes and businesses as they are constructed that the district shouldn’t have to return to the ballot for the next decade.

A taxpayer with a $100,000 home would pay $105 a year for this levy or $8.75 per month. The emergency levy would remain in place for 10 years.

Garaway School District maintains five buildings. Garaway High School and Miller Avenue Elementary School are both located in Sugarcreek. Three elementary schools serve the surrounding towns of Baltic, Ragersville and Dundee. The district name comes by combining the names of each township they serve (Sugar, Auburn and Wayne).

Currently there are about 1,100 students enrolled throughout the district. Enrollment has remained steady throughout the years, but some numbers are going up.

“In the last four years our open enrollment has increased dramatically,” Millet said.

“Open enrollment allows a student to attend school tuition-free in a district other than the district where his or her parents reside,” according to the Ohio Department of Education website.

Both levies will fund day-to-day expenses like utilities, bus fuel, classroom supplies and teacher salaries. Neither levy will affect the other or any other levies. The district will remain at the 20-mill floor.

More information about the levies can be found on the Garaway Local School District website at www.garaway.org under the Our District heading.

Both levies and many other issues will appear on the ballot in Ohio on May 8.