As election day draws closer, many school districts have levies on the ballot. Each levy has its own benefits that are aimed to help the development within the each school district.  Listed below are the levies proposed by the cities of Ravenna, Aurora, Crestwood and Rootstown.

Ravenna

Issue 17 proposes a levy of nearly $2.9 million for the Ravenna School District. The money funded from the levy will cover the cost of building improvements, construction and ongoing maintenance for the outdated buildings. One of the focuses of the building budget is fixing the roofs at Carlin Elementary and West Park Elementary Schools as well as replace pipes, repair boilers and update security in other buildings throughout the school district. The funding from the levy will also cover the cost of replacing two of the district’s oldest school buses, repairing their existing fleet of buses and upgrading technology such as computers for state-mandated tests. 

Aurora

Issue 16 proposes a 7.33 million renewal levy for the Aurora City School District, which will run for five years. If the levy passes, it will not increase the amount of taxes current residents pay, their tax rates will remain the same. This levy was originally passed in 1992 and covers general operating cost for the school district. The money funded from the levy will pay for curriculum necessities, staff salaries and benefits, school buses, utilities, technology and fuel.

Rootstown

The local school district in Rootstown Township looks to renew a five-year levy that generally brings in an estimated $1,045,000 annually.  The 5.98 mills Renewal levy will be used to keep up on the continued operations within the district.  The money will directly be used for things such as classroom supplies, utilities, transportation, special education costs, extra-curricular programs.  The money brought in will also help pay for the unfunded mandates brought upon by federal and state legislatures.

Crestwood

The city of Crestwood is putting emphasis on getting their permanent improvement levy passed in this November election. With a levy that has been passed every five years since 1987, the Crestwood School Board says that it is essential for the city to pass this levy in order to keep up with the repairs needed in the district. The renewal tax will not exceed its 3.5 mills rate for each one dollar of valuation. It is also emphasized that this levy will not add any new taxes and will not raise homeowner’s property tax. The levy, which currently raises $430,000, will be used for buses, school building repairs and more building and equipment-related improvements.

Chris Yamnitsky and Jessica Darling are city reporters. Contact them at [email protected] and [email protected].