MONROE — Ohio's newest school district will ask its voters on May 8 to renew an emergency levy first approved in 1995 and renewed in 1998 when Monroe was still part of the Middletown/Monroe Schools.

        Monroe's annual share of the $4.9 million levy as a separate district is $930,418 and is based on Monroe's tax base, said Jamie Pierce, president of the Monroe Board of Education.

        The board decided Friday to leave the dollar amount the same but extend the levy from three years to five.

        The issue will appear on the ballot as a 4.35-mill reduction because it does not include Middletown's share of the original issue.

        The Middletown Board of Education is scheduled to vote today to put its share of the levy back on the ballot, again for a three-year period.

        “The bottom line is there will be no increase in taxes,” Mr. Pierce said. “This will allow us to maintain what we have now.”

        Without the renewal, Treasurer Sharron Moon said the district would be facing a deficit by June 2002.

        The current levy expires at the end of December. If approved, collections on the renewal levy would begin in January.

        Because the district is less than 8 months old, it has no history of funding.

        Superintendent Arnol Elam has requested both a financial audit and staffing analysis from state agencies. Those should be completed in the next few weeks and will give the district more information as it plans for future needs.

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