MOUNT HEALTHY - Several financial setbacks in the past year have prompted Mount Healthy school officials to seek voter approval Tuesday for a tax increase. The request for an 8.99-mill levy, up from a 6.99-mill levy approved in 1998, is the only Southwest Ohio school issue on the August ballot.

        The levy, if approved, would bring $2.6 million annually to school coffers with collections beginning in January, said Rebecca Brooks, schools treasurer. It would be enough to avoid a projected $1 million deficit by June 2004.The cost to the owner of an $80,000 home would be about $221 a year.

        “When we last approved a levy in 1998, we thought it would last three years,” Ms. Brooks said. “So far it's lasted four years and we thought we were going to get another year out of it.”

        But then several setbacks hit during the past year. Among them:

        School officials budgeted a $90,000 reduction in revenue for the 2001-02 school year based on the number of students who enrolled in charter schools the previous year. More students than anticipated enrolled in charter schools, which increased the reduction in state aid to $480,000.

        A change in how Hillman Fastener computes its inventory tax caused a permanent reduction of $178,000 annually.

        Fleet, liability and property insurance tripled, costing the district $75,000 more than what was budgeted. Health insurance also rose but that increase was anticipated and built into the budget.

        “No school board likes to go back and ask the citizens for a tax increase,” said Al Crawford, president of the Mount Healthy Board of Education. “But the way the school (funding) system is designed, legislators leave us with no other options. We always look at this as a last resort.”

        To get through the coming school year in the black the board has taken steps to reduce spending, Ms. Brooks said.

        Textbook purchases and facility improvements have been put on hold. The position of a retiring administrator will not be filled.

        Instead of replacing the roof at North Middle School at a cost of $250,000, the worst sections will be patched at a cost of only $60,000.

        Individual building budgets have been reduced by 20 percent and the district is reducing the amount of teaching supplies and materials.

        The measures should result in a $625,000 savings, Ms. Brooks said.

        “We tried to reduce things that wouldn't have an effect on kids and providing a quality education. We cut back on our ability to repair the infrastructure,” Mr. Crawford said. “After that any more cuts would affect the delivery of education.”

        In the past year the district has made dramatic improvements.

        The district jumped from academic emergency on the 2001 Ohio Report Card to continuous improvement on the 2002 report card, a two-category improvement, largely based on improvements in state proficiency test scores. The improvement was so great at two elementary schools 1/2ndash 3/4 Hoop and Frost 1/2ndash 3/4 that the state gave each a $25,000 improvement award, Ms. Brooks said.

        “I think we've done an outstanding job meeting and exceeding our commitment to the public. I hope they reward us by supporting the school system,” Mr. Crawford said.

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