School Board OKs Levy for May 7 Ballot — So What's Next?

The 2.4 mill permanent improvement levy got the green light from North Canton school officials, so what's next?

Members of the North Canton City Schools Board of Education met during a special meeting Monday morning and gave the official thumbs-up on the levy, which will be used to improve the district's buildings and buses.

"(The) meeting was to approve the updated board exhibit originating from the January 22 meeting," Hartenstein said. "The updated exhibit contained the tax valuation numbers from the county auditor. ... The board is required to vote on the updated tax language so that it may be sent to the county board of elections along with the proposed ballot language."

"As far as where we go from here ... we are putting together levy information and will be contacting individuals to assist us with a campaign. We likely won't have concrete details until the end of this week or the first of next week."

Meanwhile, North Canton Patch readers continue their discussion about the levy.

Here are a few things readers have said this past week:

• Diane: "I am still very upset with the prior administration's decision to realign our schools post-levy, making some certainly unwise decisions financially. I am also very upset to see how long our district has neglected spending money on the things they really need, and forgoing this permanent improvement levy years ago, when they were advised it was going to be needed in the wake of the many budget cuts by the state."

• Jennifer R.: "It costs my family of 5 approximately $70 to go out to dinner. I can forgo one of those a year to transfer that money to support our school buses and buildings. The levy has nothing to do with administration/staff salaries."

• Joan Ferris: "Before stating an opinion on the levy, taxpayers need to find out the why behind the levy. The state BOE is enforcing new mandates without any of their financial support. The state keeps taking money away from us. Talk with some of the people on the board or in the administration."

• Fred Benson: "Why doesn't everyone complain to Columbus? They are the ones cutting school budgets and moving the cost of operating to the local schools. You are not getting a reinvestment of your state tax dollars because the Gov is balancing the books on the back's of the schools . Have any of you complained? Why not? Hold our state leaders accountable for not following the courts order."