MOUNT VERNON — Unofficial election results indicate only two of the five school levies on Tuesday’s ballot passed — those proposed by the Ashland-West Holmes Joint Vocational School and Centerburg Local Schools. East Knox, North Fork and Mount Vernon school district residents rejected their respective levy proposals.
Centerburg Local School District
Centerburg school district voters renewed a 1.5-mill permanent improvement levy for a continuing period of time. Originally passed in the 1980s, the levy generates funds which are used for maintenance and upkeep, and for the purchase of items which have a life-expectancy of more than five years.
Superintendent Mike Hebenthal is pleased. “We are very thankful to the community for their continual support,” he said. “We will be sure to honor their trust by using these funds in the best manner we can to serve the students.”
East Knox Local School District
East Knox voters rejected a continuing combination levy to provide funds for the operating expenses of the district. The levy included a 0.75 earned income tax and a property tax in the amount of 2.92 mills.
“It is unfortunate news despite the outstanding efforts of our levy committee. The good news is that we will continue to educate our students as best we can with the resources we have available,” said Superintendent Steve Larcomb. “We did make some slight positive gains compared to the last few times we’ve gone on the ballot. ... It is somewhat gratifying to know that we came closer this time than in the previous five attempts. However, the unfortunate fact remains that voters have chosen a path to fiscal emergency for our school system.”
Asked what happens next, Larcomb said, “I think at this point, it’s a wait and see for next summer when a fiscal oversight commission comes in. There’s not much use in trying to guess what an oversight commission will foist upon us since it does not and should not exist before next summer.”
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