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Groveport Madison voters approve school levy
(by Rick Palsgrove, Southeast Editor - May 06, 2009)
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| Messenger photo by Rick Palsgrove |
| Groveport Madison Superintendent Scott McKenzie addresses a crowd of levy supporters following the announcement of the passage of Issue 12 on May 5. |
Groveport Madison voters approved the first new property tax funds for the school district since 1997 with the passage of the district's operating levy on May 5.
Unofficially, voters said "yes" to Issue 12 by a margin of 53 to 47 percent with 2,176 supporting the levy and 1,947 opposing it.
"This is a victory for so many individuals in our school district. Our levy committee deserves the credit for these results at the polls. These numbers were not a fluke or some type of lucky circumstance, these individuals earned this by leaving no stone unturned, and through lots of hard work and persistence," said Groveport Madison Superintendent Scott McKenzie.
The approved three year, 9.36 mill operating levy is a renewal with an increase of 3.9 mills on the existing 5.46 mill operating levy, originally approved in 1996 and which generates $4.5 million annually. The new 9.36 mill levy will generate an estimated $7.7 million per year and cost the owner of a $100,000 home an estimated $120 more per year at $9.95 additional per month.
Levy funds will be used to purchase new textbooks, increase the number and quality of student computers, and continue to improve student instruction as well as pupil/teacher ratios. The district will also follow through on promised budget cuts.
"We promised to make $1.4 million in cuts to begin next school year and our cabinet members are meeting this week to carry out these tasks," said McKenzie. "We promised to purchase much needed textbooks. And, while it is going to take us more than a year to catch up in every subject, we are immediately convening our math teachers to secure a new math curriculum and to place orders for a new math adoption so that these materials can be in place before school begins in the fall."
McKenzie added the district plans to purchase new computers for the alternative school program at the high school and fill other technology needs, such as more smart boards, computer upgrades and other technological items.
"We will also begin to see where we can reduce the student to teacher ratios, especially at the primary grades for the future," said McKenzie.
McKenzie said there are many people to thank for the success of the levy.
"Every person who agreed to place a sign in their yard, owns a piece of this levy by standing up in front of their neighbors and proclaiming their support for Groveport Madison's kids," said McKenzie. "Our board of education deserves a huge thank you for their foresight to place this levy on the ballot quickly and unanimously, but also for their guidance and fiscal diligence. We also are so appreciative of our teachers for their willingness to forgo a salary increase. Our principals also are to be commended for their dedication to the district. They organized many activities for the campaign and also held coffee clatches and other meetings. They went door to door and made phone calls, helped send out post cards, and they along with our teachers, worked with us every step of the way."
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