The Cincinnati Enquirer

Voters in four Southwest Ohio counties will decide 19 ballot issues today in 18 school districts.

ELECTION '04

• Kerry, Edwards bash Bush on eve of vote • 2 seek Ohio Senate seat • Same-sex debate comes to Ky. • Local NAACP to pay voters $2 to register • Four vie for Warren seat • Region's voters to decide 19 issues • Enquirer endorsements • 2004 Election Guide

Here are the issues:

Hamilton County

Loveland: A combination levy consisting of an operating levy that would raise $4.3 million annually and a continuing permanent improvement levy to provide $3 million annually for building maintenance, including roof replacement, buses, textbooks, computers and school security systems. Cost: net increase of $188 on a $100,000 house.

Madeira: A bond issue that would raise $28 million to build new schools to replace Dumont Primary and Sellman Middle schools and renovate the high school to expand classrooms. Cost: $240 on a $100,000 house.

Reading High School freshman Jessica Shelton, 14, decorates cars for a parade of school levy supporters. (Steven M. Herppich photo)

Reading: Operating levy that would raise $1.76 million annually to continue day-to-day operations. Cost: $250 per year on a $100,000 house.

St. Bernard-Elmwood Place: Renewal of a levy that would raise $1.68 million each of the next five years to continue day-to-day operations with collections beginning in 2005. No tax increase.

Three Rivers: Continuing levy that would raise $4.5 million annually for day-to-day operations. Cost: $347 on a $100,000 house.

Winton Woods: A combination levy that would raise $3.9 million annually and a permanent improvement levy that would raise $493,000 annually to maintain day-to-day operations and implement top priorities from the community-developed strategic plan, including online grade books, expansion of full-day kindergarten and restoring part-time elementary school counselor positions cut in 1997. Cost: $274.09 on a $100,000 house.

Butler County

Edgewood: A continuing levy that would raise $2.5 million annually to maintain existing programs. Cost: $211.32 annually on a $100,000 house.

Fairfield: A continuing levy that would raise $9.1 million annually to maintain existing programs. Cost: $211.11 on a $100,000 house.

Lakota: A single levy that would bring $21 million annually for day-to-day operations and provide $84.9 million to build three new elementary schools, two of which would replace Liberty and Union schools; add classrooms to Lakota East and West high schools; add an early childhood wing to Hopewell Elementary; and convert Liberty Elementary into a second early childhood center. Cost: $536.09 on a $150,000 house.

Middletown: Renewal of a levy that would continue to bring $4 million each of the next three years for operations.

Ross: A combination levy that would allocate $270,169 annually for daily operations and a permanent improvement levy, expected to bring in $810,508 annually for capital expenditures such as building maintenance, textbooks and educational equipment. Cost: $122.50 on a $100,000 house.

Clermont County

Batavia: Operating levy expected to raise $1.344 million annually for daily operations. Cost: $211 on a $100,000 house.

Clermont Northeastern: Permanent improvement levy expected to raise $1.2 million annually to pay for textbooks, upgrade technology and maintenance. Cost: $150 a year on a $100,000 house.

West Clermont: Five-year emergency levy expected to raise $9.75 million annually to maintain daily operations. Cost: $242 on a $100,000 house.

Williamsburg: Five-year levy (part renewal and part new) that would raise $651,116 annually to maintain daily operations. Cost: net increase of $110 annually on a $100,000 house.

Warren County

Franklin: A combination levy that would raise $2.3 million annually for daily operations and a $10.5 million bond issue that would add at least two classrooms to each elementary school and at least a dozen rooms to the junior high. Cost: $227.54 on a $100,000 house.

Franklin: A bond issue that would provide $2.45 million for improvements at the high school stadium and a new multipurpose room. Cost: $11.94 on a $100,000 house.

Mason: A bond issue to raise $35 million for construction of a preschool-through-first-grade school, additions at Mason Intermediate School and about $700,000 for a year-around synthetic turf athletic field. School debt would be restructured.

Springboro: A bond issue that would provide $61.5 million for construction of two elementary schools and renovations to existing schools. Cost: $179.15 on a $100,000 house.