Fri Feb 10 2012
As School Board president, I've read with interest the letters that have been submitted to the paper recently regarding the failed school levy. Space does not permit me to respond to every comment here, but I do feel compelled to say a few things.
First, Nordonia Schools do an excellent job managing costs. Our effective tax rate is the fourth lowest in Summit County, our AA bond rating places us in the top 5 percent of the districts in the state for fiscal management and the state's CUPP report (which was selectively used to show how we are worse than a neighboring district) shows that we are in the top 25 percent of districts in Ohio when it comes to keeping pressure off the local taxpayer.
Certainly, times are tough and Nordonia schools need to make every effort to continue reducing costs. As elected representatives of this community, the School Board works hard to ensure that this happens.
Beyond state minimums, the school funding model in Ohio leaves it up to the voters of each district to choose what they want their schools to be. No Child Left Behind and other mandated programs will limit our ability to increase class sizes back to 1970s levels, but if future levies fail, the district will need to start eliminating programs, increasing fees and moving down the path toward larger class sizes. I'm a firm believer that a community is only as strong as its schools.
Right now, Nordonia schools are excellent for many reasons, including -- but not limited to -- our state report card results. Both the Board of Education and district administrators understand that the residents of Nordonia Hills have always supported their schools. We will keep working with members of the community to ensure that this support continues and is justified.
Douglas Masteller
Macedonia
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