· November 2, 2012

School Levy Profile: Rocky River City Schools

Rocky River City School District is yet another example of how Gov. John Kasich’s 1.8 billion in cuts to Ohio public schools have forced local taxpayers to pick up the tab. The school district is asking for a continuing 4.9 mill operating levy in order to replace revenue generated by the Commercial Activity Tax .  The district stands to lose $3.5 million over the next four years in state funding cuts including $815,000 that was cut in 2012. Voters in Rocky River defeated a 5.9 mill request from the district and now will be asked to approve a smaller levy in order to avoid steep cuts in staff and programming. Before going to the ballot, teachers agreed to a salary freeze for the third year in a row and accepted health insurance concessions totaling $800,000 per year.  The district also cut foreign language programs, suspended the purchase of musical instruments, and cut all departments by 10%. If the levy does not pass in November, $1.6 million in cuts would need to be made. This means cutting teachers, administrators, secretaries, transportation and security are all possible. [Cleveland Plain Dealer. ]