Residents learn more about 6.9-mill levy for South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools

Linda Reid and Patrick Ward

Linda N. Reid, left, superintendent of the South Euclid Lyndhurst School District, answers a question from a resident as Lyndhurst Mayor Patrick Ward looks on. The informational meeting about the district’s 6.9-mill levy on the March 17 ballot was Thursday (Feb. 6) at the Lyndhurst Community Center. (Ed Wittenberg, special to cleveland.com)

LYNDHURST, Ohio -- City Council feels an obligation to be informed about what’s going on in the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District, Mayor Patrick Ward says.

That’s one reason why the city hosted an informational meeting Thursday (Feb. 6) at the Lyndhurst Community Center about the district’s 6.9-mill levy on the March 17 ballot. District administrators were on hand to answer residents’ questions about the levy.

“We’re always interested in what’s going on in our district and our schools,” said Ward, who led the meeting. “Our City Council wanted to get a little sense of what you’re thinking.”

Six of the city’s seven councilmen were in the crowd of about 75 people who braved the cold and snowy weather to learn more about the district and this levy.

Issue 32 will ask for 5.9 mills for general operations in the district and 1 mill for permanent improvements in the district’s buildings.

It marks the first time the SE-L district has been on the ballot for a tax increase since November 2012, when voters passed a 5.9-mill operating levy. That levy was projected to last three years, but through a variety of cost-cutting and cost-avoidance measures, the district has stretched it to seven years.

“We're stuck with a school-funding system that relies on an ever-changing amount of state aid, which is troublesome,” Ward said. “When we pass a levy, that amount of money, that yield, is frozen in time.

“So that levy will not generate any more than it does on the day it starts. We keep stretching (the current levy), but I think the rubber band is about to break.”

The levy would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 an additional $20.13 per month, or $241.56 per year. If Issue 32 passes, the tax increase would take effect in January.

Joshua Hill, the district’s treasurer, said the 1 mill of permanent improvement money has been earmarked specifically for air conditioning in the schools.

“Over a three- to four-year plan, we'll try to get air conditioning into every school within the district,” Hill said.

Linda N. Reid, in her eighth year as the district’s superintendent, said the average age of the district’s buildings is about 70, and they weren’t built with air conditioning.

“Our custodians have done a wonderful job with the upkeep of older buildings, and so we started last spring to do some window replacements,” Reid said, noting that that work is covered by the district’s current permanent improvement funds.

“The school year is a lot different today than it was years ago,” she continued. “We’re actually starting in mid-August, and these buildings don’t have air (conditioning). It does change the learning environment that you have, and we want to be competitive.

“When we look at the school districts around us, there's air conditioning. So we wanted to use that 1 mill over a three- to four-year period to put air conditioning in the buildings for a better learning environment for our students and our staff.”

Reid said the 5.9 mills for general operations would go toward “anything from technology and resources, (such as) textbooks and Chromebooks, to teachers and our staff.”

Permanent improvement funds can’t be used for general operations and vice versa, Reid said.

“That's why they're separated out,” she said.

Patrick Ward

Lyndhurst Mayor Patrick Ward tries to explain the difficulties of Ohio’s school funding system. (Ed Wittenberg, special to cleveland.com)

A woman asked how much the district is losing to the EdChoice voucher program, which allows students in Ohio to receive tax-funded tuition aid to attend private schools.

Hill looked it up and said the current amount the district is losing to “community schools” and open enrollment is about $2.5 million.

Reid said the district’s enrollment has remained steady in recent years. Current enrollment is 3,362. Two years ago, it was 3,473.

“We have about a 13 percent mobility rate,” Reid said.

A woman asked for a round of applause for the district’s teachers.

“We have teachers who are so committed to their students and to creating an environment of learning,” Ward said. “I am amazed when I go to convocation, at the beginning of the (school) year, to learn what these teachers and administrators do over the summer to prepare for the year ahead.

“A lot of it is creative imaging to make sure that we can produce learned students, to get them excited about learning," he said.

Reid said the district does its best to spread information to the public about its high-achieving students.

“We're putting out on social media 30-second videos of recent graduates, telling about their experiences and to advertise how well that they've done,” she said.

“Our valedictorian last year at Brush High School is attending Harvard (University),” she continued, noting that he was a well-rounded student. “That’s what we’re proud of at South Euclid-Lyndhurst Schools, that we offer a well-roundedness of not just core classes, but (also) electives in different things.

“We had a girl score a perfect 36 on her ACT. She’s attending Vanderbilt (University). Last year’s graduating class earned $8 million in scholarships," Reid said.

A woman pointed out that many senior citizens “don't do Facebook.”

“How are you going to get to those people specifically?” she asked.

Reid said the district’s quarterly newsletter, sent to about 16,000 homes in South Euclid and Lyndhurst, “is very popular” and can reach residents who don’t get their information online.

A senior citizen drew a loud round of applause when he said: “People judge a district by their schools. Citizens will pay for good schools, whether or not they have them, because if you pay for good schools and you have them, you get good property values.

“So I support the levy, even though I have no children in the schools.”

Becky Richardson

Becky Richardson, president of the Sunview Elementary School PTA, talks about the inclusiveness of the South Euclid-Lyndhurst School District. (Ed Wittenberg, special to cleveland.com)

Becky Richardson, president of the Sunview Elementary School PTA, shared several stories of positive experiences she and her children have had in the district.

“What's the big thing that everyone sees about the school district?” she asked. “The report card grade, right? But that's not who we are. That's not a true representation of what makes us such a great district.

“The district is so inclusive. We see it not just with the administrators and the teachers, but we see it with so many of our kids, as well. It’s just one of the things that makes our school district so wonderful.”

Another woman asked, “What are the consequences if (the levy) doesn't pass?”

“They're not thinking about it that way,” Ward said. “I appreciate the fact that they’re looking toward the positive.

“We've got good schools,” he continued. “We've got good value. We get disservice from the Ohio Department of Education.

“The possibilities are there. We have to find a way to get our parents a little more engaged.”

Another informational meeting about the levy is set for 7 p.m. Tuesday (Feb. 11) at the SEL Board of Education building, 5044 Mayfield Road.

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