Treasurer urges Akron school board to hammer out levy, bond issue as budget cuts loom

Akron Public Schools Treasurer Steve Thompson told the school board Monday that it's time for members to craft and approve an operating levy and bond issue to place in front of voters this fall — even as the district mulls budget cuts ahead of the next school year.

Thompson told the board it will need to approve the levy and bond issue in the coming weeks for inclusion on the November ballot. Passage would help the district take a critical step toward resolving a looming fiscal crisis.

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A 7.6-mill operating levy would help fund the district's daily expenditures while the 1.3-mill bond issue would pay to build a new $85 million North High School building.

This ballot initiative would help the district remain financially afloat for the next five years, Superintendent Michael Robinson explained. It comes at a time when the district is considering nearly $15 million in budget cuts in the coming years.

"Not having (the levy and bond issue), we can guarantee those cuts next year will be much more severe and deeper," Robinson said.

To help pay for the new North High School building, Robinson said he would check with the state again for funding — but he was not optimistic any money would be available for APS.

"Declining student enrollment means declining funding," Thompson explained. "I don't think the state will fund any more building."

The district will discuss cuts, the levy and the bond issue at 4 p.m. May 13 during the Finance Committee meeting and at 5:30 p.m. May 20 during the regular board meeting.

This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Treasurer urges Akron school board to craft levy, bond issue soon