South-Western City School Board Meets Monday

FRANKLIN COUNTY, Ohio -- With only a few short weeks until children return to class, thousands of South-Western City Schools students and parents continue to wonder what the new school year has in store.

HERE ARE THE FAST FACTS.
- An 8.3-mill operating levy was voted down during a special Tuesday, Aug. 4, election earlier this month.
- Fifty-one percent of voters said no while 49 percent said yes.
- The following reductions will remain in place:
1. Classroom budgets at the 2008-2009 level
2. A portion of purchased services budgets
3. Kingston School including one principal’s position, one clerical position, 0.5 medication monitor position and one custodial position
4. Before and afterschool activities and programs including three athletic supervisor positions, four athletic clerical positions, 1.5 athletic training positions and supplemental contracts for extracurricular and co-curricular activities
5. Board-supported field trips
6. High-school busing and extended walk zone area busing for grades K-8
7. Teaching positions – 0.5 Educational Technology teaching position, one Supplemental Services teaching position and one work study (special education position)
8. Support positions – one director of human services position, one professional development support position, one mechanic position, one computer technician position, one computer operator position and seven educational resource center (library) aide positions in grades K-4
- The levy would have raised $21 million for the area’s second-largest school district.

Could the district go to the voters a fifth time?

What is the district doing now without the funding?

NBC 4 gets answers Monday on what the district may do next.

The South-Western City School board was scheduled to meet Monday night, and the discussion could include whether or not to put a levy on the November ballot as the deadline to file looms.

The deadline to file is 4 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 20.

Issue 2 co-chair Jill Billman-Royer said she doesn't think voters understood, or perhaps it wasn't communicated well enough the last time around, the district will have to cut an additional $5 million if voters don’t pass a levy this year.

The district’s next chance would be during the November general election.

Levy opponent Terry Jones said the district should not put another levy on the ballot.

He said he thinks administrators should cut their salaries instead of freeze them. He said talks of more cuts are what he calls "window-dressing."

The SWCS district has gone to voters three times in the last year, cut $22-million over the past three years, including most recently, extracurricular activities.

Both proponents and opponents agree they have to come together in order for circumstances to change.

For additional information on this developing story, stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com -- Where Accuracy Matters.
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