By Rick Palsgrove
Groveport Editor
On Nov. 7, voters in the Groveport Madison school district approved a 6.68 mill continuing operating levy by 51 percent to 49 percent with 5,700 voting for the levy and 5,484 voting against it, according to unofficial totals from the Franklin County Board of Elections.
“We are grateful to our community for getting out and exercising their right to vote on Issue 14,” said Groveport Madison Superintendent Jamie Grube. “We appreciate that our community took the time to vote and let us know how they feel regarding Issue 14 and the district’s operating levy. As a district we look forward to continued improvement, remaining fiscally responsible, and continuing transparent communication with our community. Issue 14 is about providing our district with the resources needed and investing in our children, their future, and the future of the Groveport Madison community. This levy was originally passed in 2014, and renewed in 2019 so it is all about maintaining what our District currently provides.”
Now that the levy has passed, according to Grube, the district does not have any cuts in place to be made and there were no cuts made previously that district officials will be restoring.
Grube added that there is no plan for an additional operating levy to be placed on the ballot any time soon.
When asked if there is a possibility a bond issue for buildings could come before the voters in the next couple of years, Grube said, “There is a possibility for a bond issue for the buildings to happen within the next five years.”
Considering ongoing issues with inflation in today’s economy, when asked what further steps the district could take to deal with expenses, Grube said, “Our board of education and district administration team are looking for ways to make budget cuts related to purchased services and supplies throughout every area of our district. Our goal is to provide our district with what is needed while making conservative financial choices. Our treasurer Adam Collier does a financial update every board meeting to discuss where we are at financially so the board can help make decisions on where we can improve.”
The levy approved by voters on Nov. 7 is for current operating expenses and is a continuing levy, meaning it is essentially a permanent levy since it does not have a fixed term. School officials said this approved levy is a “no new taxes” renewal of an existing levy.
According to Groveport Madison Treasurer Adam Collier, the district will now continue to receive the $6.3 million the previous existing levy generated annually. He said it is not additional money. If the levy had failed, Collier said the district would have lost that $6.3 million in annual revenue.
