Election 2019: Mixed Results For Local School Levies

By Taylor Haggerty

Published November 6, 2019 at 5:54 AM EST

Voters approved a 10-year, 1.9 mill renewal and .4 mill levy increase for a Cuyahoga Community College. [Annie Wu / ideatream] — Tri-C Issue 3 campaign yard sign

Cleveland-area schools will see mixed results to school tax levy proposals after Tuesday night’s elections.

Cuyahoga County voters approved two of the three school tax levies on the ballot.

Cuyahoga Community College’s proposal passed, with roughly 64 percent approval. It will increase Tri-C’s current levy to 23 cents per $100 valuation, lasting for the next 10 years.

And with support from about 65 percent of those voting, Brooklyn city schools will continue with the current tax levy for five more years.

But the Euclid City School District didn’t generate the support it needed to pass an additional levy for $5.6 million in emergency requirements. About 54 percent of voters rejected the proposal.

Interim Euclid Superintendent Christopher Papouras told ideastream via email Tuesday night that district officials are disappointed with the results of the election and will look over options to balance the budget. The district “cannot discuss specifics until the board and administration study [their] options,” he said.

The Lorain City School District’s current levy was renewed, garnering approval from about 55 percent of voters. School board members previously spoke out against the levy due to difficulties with the state-appointed CEO David Hardy, who was appointed as part of the state’s 2017 emergency takeover of the district. Under an emergency takeover, current state law strips local school boards of all powers other than putting tax levies on the ballot, though the Ohio Supreme Court heard arguments on HB 70, the school takeover law, last week.

And a new levy proposed by Cuyahoga Falls district officials barely passed, according to initial counts showing about 52 percent of residents voting in favor of the measure.

A proposed increase to the Willoughby-Eastlake School District’s levy, which failed during an August special election, failed again Tuesday. Superintendent Steve Thompson said in a Facebook statement that the district “will prepare an updated list of changes to programming and services” due to lack of funding.