District Offers Levy Advice To SWCS

CENTRAL OHIO -- While the South-Western City Schools district remains divided by name-calling, threats, blame and accusations, NBC 4 talked to another Central Ohio district that passed a levy after several failed attempts.

The SWCS school board was scheduled to meet in special session Wednesday night to decide whether to go back to the voters for a fourth time, asking for a levy supporters say could end a the district’s financial crisis. Opponents, on the other hand, said it would be a financial burden for taxpayers.

It was an issue that split voters almost in two and continues to divide the community.

With more than 32,000 voters casting ballots Tuesday, Aug. 4, the 8.3-mill operational levy was defeated by about 500 votes.

Extracurricular activities, some bussing and a number of jobs are gone.

After a heated meeting last night, NBC 4 was told the public is not invited to comment at the special meeting Wednesday night.

Terry Jones has opposed the levy and has heard rumors supporters are posting his address online.

“I do not take light to threats, and I am not intimidated, and I'm not backing off this thing. Do not try to come to my front door. I'm going to warn everybody about that right now,” Jones said at Monday night’s meeting.

It was the latest salvo fired in a bitter war of words that's creating a seemingly impassible community divide.

“The continued lack of class character and integrity displayed by you, towards me personally and others, only makes you look more ridiculous and me motivated than ever. I taught middle school for 26 years. You don't scare me,” supporter Mary Mulvaney said.

Levy supporters suggested the board reduce the millage, consider a compromise pay-to-play system or an across-the-board pay cut for all district employees as concessions that could entice more people to vote yes in November.

Opponents said they are weary of the nonstop levy efforts and said eliminating sports and other extracurriculars was a deliberate attempt to hold students hostage.

“You must have gone down your priority list and said what do the people -- what do they -- want the most and we will take it from them,” opponent Robert Wagner said.

“I can assure you that we will try to make the best decisions that we can, and if that means putting the issue back on the ballot in November and working as hard as we can to do it, we will do that. But don't believe the rhetoric when they say they don't care about your kids,” board member Greg McCarty said.

NBC 4’s Tanya Hutchins asked this question: What advice would Newark City Schools’ leaders give the divided SWCS district?

Find common ground, and think about the future of the community as a whole.

It may sound simple, but it worked for Newark.

Newark City Schools passed its levy in May. It wasn't easy, but School Board President Molly Ingold said it took a change of attitude.

“Most often our levies -- we took a look at trying to say it was about the kids. We decided it was not about the kids. We decided it was about a community,” Ingold said.

Ingold said voters should think about the entire community, about their properties and about their futures.

Newark lowered the millage on its last proposed levy and promised to bring back bussing and pay-to-play sports, but resident Tricia German said success depends on thinking broader.

“It isn't anything to do with the sports programs and things like that, and they may have cut that stuff, but if you don't pass a levy eventually, your whole town is going to go down the tubes,” German said.

She said no one would have wanted to live or work in Newark if a levy didn't eventually pass.

Ingold said she thinks SWCS should get a few members from both sides to sit down and iron out a workable plan.

“The kids that we have today will be our community tomorrow. Unless we can provide that education for them, we're not gonna have a very good community tomorrow. So, I wish them well,” Ingold said.

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