JEROMESVILLE — Hillsdale Local Schools is taking a renewal levy back to the ballot this May after voters split on a pair of them last November.
At least one school board member, Keith Yeater, said he thinks the district was too quiet about the impact of a yes or no vote on the matter in November.
“School finance is hard to understand because it’s so convoluted,” said superintendent Catherine Trevathan.
The levy that will appear on the ballot is an operating levy, which pays for staffing, supplies and keeping the district’s lights on. Its passage or failure determines how much the district will receive in public utilities revenue.
The district could lose out on $8.7 million in public utilities revenue over the next two fiscal years if the tax issue is voted down.
The most important thing to understand, Trevathan said, is that the levy will keep public utilities paying on the 20-mill floor.
School districts in Ohio all have to operate on the 20-mill floor. So, even if the levy does not pass, taxpayers will have to continue paying the same amount, since Hillsdale is on the floor. It’s public utilities that won’t have to continue paying at their current rates if taxpayers vote no.
Trevathan explained public utilities only have to pay tax on the voted millage. If taxpayers don’t pass the levy, voted millage decreases, which decreases public utilities’ contribution.
Trevathan said anyone with questions could reach out to herself or treasurer Lesa Deter for information. The district’s levy committee can also field questions, or Trevathan recommended reaching out to county auditor Cindy Funk.
Read more coverage on the levy renewal below:
