By Cindy Kranz
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Residents in eight Greater Cincinnati school districts and two villages go to the polls today to decide operating levies and bond issues.

The stakes are high for Lockland village and schools, which have emergency operating levies on the ballot.

Two levy losses last year forced Mount Healthy to cut busing for high school students.

Three districts - Batavia, Norwood and Talawanda - are hoping to pass bond issues for new schools or repairs.

Polling places in Butler, Clermont, Hamilton and Warren counties are open from 6:30 a.m.-7:30 p.m.

Here are the issues:

• Lockland Schools: A 24.1-mill emergency operating levy, expected to raise $2.5 million each of the next five years.

• Lockland Village: An 8.5-mill emergency operating levy, expected to raise $504,000 each of the next five years.

• Norwood Schools: An 8.93-mill bond issue would provide $54.9 million to replace or repair schools.

• Milford Schools: A 5.9-mill continuing operating levy would raise $4.7 million annually.

• Batavia Schools: A 5.9-mill bond issue would provide $18.4 million to build an elementary school.

• Springboro Schools: A single question asking voters to renew a $1.4 million levy and a $600,000 emergency levy, both due to expire at the end of 2003.

• Addyston Village: Doubling of the village income tax to 2 percent; a 2-mill emergency fire levy that would raise $87,864 each of the next five years.

• Mount Healthy Schools: 6.95-mill continuing operating levy that would raise $2.2 million annually.

• Talawanda Schools: A 2.5-mill bond issue that would provide $19.5 million to build an elementary school.

• St. Bernard/Elmwood Place Schools: Renewal of a five-year, $1 million operating levy.