WestChesterBuzz.com

To let West Chester and Liberty Township residents catch up with the news that they need to know, WestChesterBuzz.com will list and link to all of last week’s top local stories every Monday. This week, we have decided to list all the top stories from May.

WestChesterBuzz.com also recently added a new video page. To view West Chester and Liberty Township related videos, visit westchesterbuzz.com/videos.

New Women’s Center – UC Health recently opened a new 26,000-square-foot Women’s Center on the campus of West Chester Hospital. The center, which officially opened May 18, offers a one-stop-shop health package for women.

Prank gone good – The senior prank typically is not done for a good cause, but that is what happened at Lakota East High School May 24. Seniors surprised their classmates, teachers and administrators that morning with a school pride message on Main Street, which is the school’s main hallway, made entirely out of canned goods. The 2,013 cans will now be donated to the survivors of the tornado that ripped through parts of Oklahoma City and its suburbs, as well as to Reach Out Lakota, a nonprofit that provides food, clothing and necessities to needy Butler County residents.

Liberty Center adds dining-theater complex – Weeks after Steiner + Associates delivered Dillard’s as its anchor tenant for Butler County’s largest proposed retail project, the developer of Liberty Center signed Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, which will offer fine dining and drinks in six of its 16 theaters.

Spark releases 150th issue – Logan Aimone, executive director of the National Scholastic Press Association, admits that he has never heard of a 160-page student publication. But that’s exactly what 140 Lakota East High School journalism students were feverishly working on – the 150th issue of Spark Magazine, which was printed and released May 30.

Lakota school district to bring back some busing – Lakota is bringing back busing. Kind of. After moving to state minimum transportation two years ago, the school district announced May 30 that it will provide busing to all kindergarten and first grade students, beginning the 2013-2014 school year. Chris Passarge, the school district’s chief operations officer, said that the service can be provided at no additional cost.

OL Jarrett LaRubbio commits to UK – Lakota East junior offensive lineman Jarrett LaRubbio said the recruiting process was getting hectic lately but he knew the University of Kentucky was at the top of his list. On May 25, LaRubbio verbally committed to UK on his unofficial visit.

IED found near ‘haunted’ bridge – There was a scare near the Screaming Bridge on Maud Hughes Road in Liberty Township when police discovered an explosive device. Deputies and the bomb squad from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, as well as Liberty Township Fire and EMS personnel, were called out to the scene around noon May 28. The Screaming Bridge, which is between Princeton and Milikin roads, is believed by some to be haunted.

Lip dub goes viral - Lakota East High School has already raised awareness and thousands of dollars for the Center for Spina Bifida Care at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, but that could only the be beginning as the school hopes its “lip dub” video goes viral and attracts the attention of Ellen DeGeneres. The video already has more than 84,000 views after being posted on YouTube a few weeks ago.

Posted in: Events, News, School events, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, CineBistro, Cobb Theatres, Cobb Theatres’ CineBistro, cuts, I-75, Interstate 75, Joe Hinson, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota busing, Lakota cuts, Lakota East, Lakota East High School, Lakota East lip dub, Lakota East senior prank, Lakota East seniors, Lakota East Spark, Lakota East Spark Magazine, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Liberty Town Square, Liberty Township business news, Liberty Way, Liberty Way Interchange, Liberty Way project, Libertytown LLC, National Honor Society, National Honor Society Lakota East, reductions, school levy, Spark Magazine, Steiner + Associates, traffic, UC Health West Chester, UC Health West Chester Women's Center, West Chester Hospital, West Chester Hospital Women's Center, West Chester Women's Center

Lakota is bringing back busing. Kind of.

After moving to state minimum transportation two years ago, the school district announced Thursday that it will provide busing to all kindergarten and first grade students, beginning the 2013-2014 school year.

Chris Passarge, the school district’s chief operations officer, said that the service can be provided at no additional cost.

“Now that we have worked for a while with all the new routes and schedules since bus service was reduced, we identified some areas where we can rearrange some existing routes or schedules and include these bus runs in the system as well,” Passarge said.

“It may mean some longer routes in certain cases, or more students on some of the buses, but we think it’s important to try to restore busing to the schools serving the youngest students.”

Students who attend the pre-kindergarten classes, which are operated by Butler County, in the Lakota early childhood schools will receive bus service if identified in the student’s Individualized Education Plan as a related service.

For the past two school years, only K-8 students who live more than two miles from school received bus service. As part of the reduction, the district eliminated busing for all high school students.

This past year, the school district provided busing to 1,745 K-1 students and didn’t provided service to 527. Lakota also provided service to 5,033 other students in grades 2-8 and didn’t provide busing to 4,278 students in grades 2-8 or to 5,036 high school students.

The decision to move to state minimum transportation, prior to the 2011-2012 school year, left about 40 percent of Lakota’s students without busing and saved the school district approximately $2.8 million per year.

Due to the time it took to have children dropped off and picked up by parents, school officials were concerned instructional time was being lost in the classroom.

“We’ve been very concerned about the disproportionate amount of lost instructional time at the ECS buildings,” Passarge said. “With so many very young children being dropped off and picked up by parents in cars, you lose class time as so many children are essentially hand-walked to the proper car.”

Information about bus stops, bus routes and schedules will be available in August.

Below are the four schools affected by this busing change

Creekside Early Childhood School
5070 Tylersville Road
West Chester Township
513-874-0175

Liberty Early Childhood School
6040 Princeton Road
Liberty Township
513-777-6194

Shawnee Early Childhood School
9494 Sterling Drive
West Chester Township
513-779-3014

Wyandot Early Childhood School
7667 Summerlin Blvd.
Liberty Township
513-759-8100

Posted in: Board of Education, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, cuts, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota busing, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, reductions, school levy, traffic

Lakota cuts busing as part of $10.2 million reduction plan

Faced with a budget shortfall, the Lakota Board of Education was forced to trim $10.2 million from its operating budget for the 2011-2012 school year. The most discussed cut was the district’s decision to move to state minimum transportation.

The decision left about 40 percent of Lakota’s students without busing and will save the school district approximately $2.8 million this school year.

Lakota to try to improve infrastructure around schools

For the third time in the past 18 month, Lakota officials and supporters had a proposed school levy fail at the polls. Due to the failure, the school district is looking to slash $9 million from its operating budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

If the levy had passed, it was not certain if school officials were considering bringing back busing. Now, with the failure, Lakota is moving forward with infrastructure projects to improve access to its schools.

“Any little chance we get to look at opportunities to make it better, we will do that because right now we know that busing will not come back any time soon due to the failure of the last levy,” said Chris Passarge, Lakota executive director of business operations.

Lakota has already had funding approved for sidewalks around Freedom Elementary and Lakota Ridge Junior schools, according to Passarge. The project is expected to go to bid in the summer of 2012 and could be finished in December of 2012.

Overall, Passarge has identified a total of nine schools including Freedom and Ridge that need more sidewalks and/or bike paths that promote walking and biking to school in a safe manner.

“It is a long-term plan to improve areas in and around schools,” Passarge said. “It is not going to fix a lot of the issues we have right now, but we are starting to chip away at it piece by piece. And, if things ever change we will have better walking areas to and from schools.”

The school district plans to chip away at its long-term plan by applying for a matching grant each year through the Ohio Department of Transportation for $500,000.

“Freedom and Ridge were the first two selected because if you look at that area, there is a lot of infrastructure in place around the neighborhoods but it stops when you get close to school grounds,” Passarge said.

Other schools identified by Passarge in need of improvements include Woodland, Adena, Heritage, Cherokee and Hopewell elementary schools, as well as Liberty and Hopewell junior schools.

Parents find alternative way to get children to school

Parents who were not comfortable with their children walking to school either had to drop the kids off themselves, join car pools or pay for a private busing service.

Just prior to the school year, Lakota graduate and former NFL player Troy Evans created a private busing service called LBS Busing after his brother and sister-in-law told him that they didn’t know how they were going to get their three children to three different Lakota schools.

On the first day of school, Aug. 25, LBS Busing failed to pick up some students and experienced lengthy delays.

After the rough start, Evans suspended service for the next three school days. Evans also suspended service indefinitely to Endeavor, Freedom, VanGorden, Hopewell and Woodland elementary schools, as well as all of the junior schools.

“We are in the process of bringing back Freedom Elementary and a couple of the junior schools,” Evans said. “We are just bringing them back slowly, making sure we are doing it right.

“We are not going to stop until every school is back up and running efficiently.”

One of the parents, Eric Kroger, whose children were not picked up from school that first day decided to keep the service and has been pleased with it since.

“We do still use the LBS busing, and it’s been perfect,” Kroger said. “Other than $110 a month, I notice no difference than when the school was providing transportation.”

Kroger also said that he would rather pay for busing then see more programs cut in the classroom.

“I realize that busing will not return if the community doesn’t pass a levy,” Kroger said. “However, assuming we do pass a levy, the priority should be to first restore the quality and breadth of the education.

“I would much rather keep paying for busing if the schools can use that money instead to pay and retain the best teachers, and restore the full curriculum and extra-curricular activities. The extra money per month for busing is nothing compared to the cost our kids will pay for an attenuated education.”

Evans said that his service is still allowing students to enroll for its service. He said that many parents are unaware that the service is currently available in their area and sign-up is still available. Enrollment must be done over the phone, by calling 513-847-1192.

11.) Union Centre Music and Food Festival puts down fall roots
10.) ‘Extreme Makeover’ family moves out
9.) Herman Cain visits West Chester and then suspends campaign
8.) Homearama brings crowds, jobs and money to West Chester
7.) Attempted abduction in Meijer parking puts community on alert
6.) Lakota East baseball team wins school’s first state title
5.) Tornado rocks Liberty Township subdivision
4.) Lakota levy fails for the third time in 18 months
3.) I-75 standoff puts region at a standstill
2.) West Chester’s John Boehner becomes Speaker of the House

Posted in: Board of Education, Business, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: busing, cuts, Lakota Board of Education, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, LBS Busing, reductions, school levy, traffic, Troy Evans, Troy Evans Lakota, Troy Evans NFL, Troy Evans Saints, Troy Evans West Chester, West Chester top 11 stories of 2011, West Chester top stories of 2011

Lakota levy fails for the third time in 18 months

WestChesterBuzz.com will count down the area’s top 11 stories of 2011 this month, concluding with West Chester’s most discussed topic of the year Dec. 30.

For the third time in the past 18 months, Lakota officials and supporters had a proposed school levy fail at the polls. Due to the failure, the school district is looking to slash $9 million from its operating budget for the 2012-2013 school year.

Lakota, which hasn’t passed a levy since 2005, had levies fail in May 2010, November 2010 and, now, in November 2011.

After the failure in 2010, the Lakota Board of Education approved a new teacher contract (three years and includes a freeze on step/longevity increases as well as health care concessions) and trimmed $10.2 million off its annual budget in 2011-2012.

In 2012, a decision on the $9 million in reductions has to be made by the spring.

The $9 million in cuts will allow Lakota to avoid its spending deficit in 2013, but does not take away the need for additional revenue, Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan said.

Regarding those potential cuts, Logan and Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia have recently told the community that the school district is currently in the analysis phase.

“We have to cut $9 million. That is not a great position to be in,” Mantia told the school board Nov. 28.

“These will be the conversations we have down the road … I don’t feel like speeding it up because someone wants an answer.”

In 2012, due to Ohio’s presidential primary, there will only be three election dates compared to the usual four. The school board was not interested in the March primary election date since the filing date (Dec. 7) was so close to November’s Election Day (Nov. 8).

The other election dates in Ohio in 2012 are scheduled for June and November.

It is not currently known if the school district will propose another tax levy in 2012. However, school officials have let it been known that Lakota is in dire need of additional revenue.

According to the Butler County Board of Elections, almost 54 percent of local residents voted down the levy, while just more than 46 percent voted in favor of the levy in 2011.

Overall, the response from voters was very similar to what it was in November of 2010 – when the levy was defeated by a 53 to 47 percent margin.

Sandy Wheatley, president of the private pro-levy group, told the Enquirer that this November’s failure had “a lot … to do with the economy.”

Rich Hoffman, president of the anti-school tax group NoLakota, told the Enquirer that sharp public clashes between some Lakota school board members also helped his group’s cause by raising questions about the district’s publicly elected leaders.

“As shown in the leadership conflicts on the school board, throwing money at poor management brings out the weaknesses reckless spending was obscuring. The much discussed rift between (board members) Joan Powell and Lynda O’Conner demonstrates that before we ever give this district more money we must have school board members who will manage the money properly,” said Hoffman.

“This levy failure is a mandate for our superintendent to now present to the teachers union the target of reducing their average wage impact on our community in such a fashion that fits with the district’s financial outlook for the next decade. That step must occur before another levy is ever attempted,” he said.

Wheatley also told the Enquirer the district’s new superintendent – Karen Mantia who began work in August – will help any future levy efforts.

She added that “Lakota is still in the recovery stage in regaining the community’s trust,” but declined to specify what caused that lack of lack of public trust in the school system.

Why did the school levy fail in 2011?

Did the school board rift, the economy or the large conservative political base influence the way the community voted?

Was the “lack of public trust” caused by the rift between school board members or was it due to the longtime complaint from community members that the board of education did a poor job of communicating (something Mantia is working to change)?

On the other hand, judging by the similar results from last November, maybe the community is just not ready to pass a school levy.

11.) Union Centre Music and Food Festival puts down fall roots
10.) ‘Extreme Makeover’ family moves out
9.) Herman Cain visits West Chester and then suspends campaign
8.) Homearama brings crowds, jobs and money to West Chester
7.) Attempted abduction in Meijer parking puts community on alert
6.) Lakota East baseball team wins school’s first state title
5.) Tornado rocks Liberty Township subdivision

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Lakota cuts, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, NoLakota, Ohio election 2011, reductions, Rich Hoffman, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, West Chester top 11 stories of 2011, West Chester top stories of 2011

Cincinnati Enquirer’s Michael D. Clark reports:

Despite high notes in recent years that include performing in California’s Rose Parade and last week at a prestigious music event in Chicago, Lakota Schools’ band programs may be headed for a downbeat next year due to pending budget cuts.

The heralded band and orchestra programs at both Lakota high schools may be targeted soon in another round of budget cuts as part of $9 million in planned reductions for the financially struggling school system.

This school year already saw elimination of sixth-grade music education classes, a loss that staffers say will have repercussions for years as students are delayed from matriculating through Lakota’s bands and orchestras.

“My biggest worry is how many seventh-graders will not sign up for band next year and if they do, how far behind will they be,” says Lakota West High School band director Greg Snyder.

On Jan. 1, 2008, Snyder led the marching Firebirds of Lakota West High School, one of the largest bands in Southwest Ohio, as they earned the distinction of being the first from this region to perform in the annual Rose Parade on New Year’s Day.

Later that year, the Lakota East High School band performed during parades and memorial services in Hawaii marking the anniversary of the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor.

Lakota’s music programs and its wide travel have attracted fund-raising support and special public performances in its schools by both the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and the Cincinnati Ballet.

Just last week, Lakota West’s band earned kudos from music directors from around the world during its performance at the internationally attended Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic in Chicago. (more…)

Posted in: Levy news, News, Schools, Student achievements |

Tags: Tags: 2011 Midwest Band and Orchestra Clinic, cuts, Greg Snyder, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota cuts, Lakota East Band, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West, Lakota West band, Lakota West Symphonic Winds, reductions, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

The Lakota school district, which is expected to cut $9 million from next school year’s operating budget, announced the retirement of three senior administrators during its public school board meeting Monday.

Among the nine retirements and resignations announced Monday, were the retirements of assistant superintendents Ron Spurlock and Lon Stettler, as well as Lakota West High School Principal Richard Hamilton.

While the assistant superintendents retirements will be effective Dec. 30, both Spurlock and Stettler will temporarily serve as consultants and help the school district as it analyzes what reductions need to be made by the spring.

One reduction was made evident during Monday’s meeting when Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia announced that only one of the two assistant superintendent positions would be filled.

In addition to that eliminated position, the school district will save $49,700 through July 2012 due to the assistant superintendents retirements. Both Spurlock and Stettler’s consultant fees will be paid by the Butler County Educational Services Center.

“All three of these leaders have made tremendous contributions to Lakota,” Mantia said. “We’re fortunate that all three have agreed to share their valuable expertise awhile longer.”

Once his retirement is effective, Stettler will remain for 18 months as a consultant overseeing student achievement and program development.

Spurlock, on the other hand, will work closely with Manita’s day-to-day operations as her special assistant for 100 days after his retirement.

“It is going to save the district some money and give them the support they need to get through this transitional time,” Spurlock said.

“I have lived in Lakota and worked in Lakota for the past 23 years, so this is where my heart is. I am excited that I will be able to work for Lakota a little bit longer and hopefully help them pull through this difficult situation.” (more…)

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota community newsletter, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Ohio election 2011, reductions, Richard Hamilton, Ron Spurlock, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

Two weeks after telling the school board that she won’t rush her decision on what cuts will be made, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia is expected to make some personnel recommendations at tonight’s public meeting in Liberty Township.

Among the recommendations, are the retirements of Lakota West High School Principal Richard Hamilton (effective July 2012), Assistant Superintendent Ron Spurlock (effective Dec. 30, 2011) and Assistant Superintendent Lon Stettler (effective Dec. 30, 2011).

Spurlock (photo) served as Lakota’s interim superintendent from Feb. 1 through July 31 this year and was heavily involved in last May’s new teacher contract (three years and includes a freeze on step/longevity increases as well as health care concessions) and the district’s $10.2 million in cuts for the 2011-2012 school year.

It is unclear if these recommendations will affect the $9 million in reductions that Mantia says is necessary by next school year.

After Lakota saw its 4.75-mill tax levy fail (roughly 54 percent against and 46 percent for), Manita introduced the “$9 million question” at a board of education work session Nov. 21.

The $9 million in cuts will allow Lakota to avoid its spending deficit in 2013, but does not take away the need for additional revenue, according Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan.

Those cuts are expected to be carried out in the spring.

Monday’s meeting will take place at the school district’s central office, 5572 Princeton Road in Liberty Township, at 7 p.m.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota community newsletter, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota West principal Richard Hamilton, Ohio election 2011, reductions, Richard Hamilton, Ron Spurlock, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia told the school board that she is taking her time looking over the budget before she will be close to deciding what will be included in what could be $9 million in reductions by next school year.

“We have to cut $9 million. That is not a great position to be in,” Mantia told the board Monday during its regularly scheduled meeting.

“These will be the conversations we have down the road … I don’t feel like speeding it up because someone wants an answer.”

The “$9 million question” was brought up last week when Mantia told the school board that the district would have to eliminate that amount from its operating budget by next school year.

• Lakota school district could cut $9 million from budget
• Why did the latest proposed Lakota school levy fail?
• Lakota levy fails for third since 2005

The $9 million in cuts will allow Lakota to avoid its spending deficit in 2013, but does not take away the need for additional revenue, according Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan.

Those cuts are expected to be carried out in the spring, a year after the school district approved a new teacher contract (three years and includes a freeze on step/longevity increases as well as health care concessions) and trimmed $10.2 million off its annual budget in 2011-2012.

During the Monday’s meeting, Mantia reviewed items in a district-wide cost analysis. Manita described the report, as something the district would be doing even if it were not in a financial crisis.

Mantia’s cost analysis broke down each school in the district and its performance. With that data, she hopes that the board of education can reallocate personnel and help each department accomplish its goals.

Logan called the cost analysis as “a work in progress.”

“Everything is tied back to each department’s goals,” Logan said.

New format: The Lakota Board of Education met in a work session format during its regularly scheduled public meeting Monday. School board president Joan Powell announced that the board would meet in a work session format only once a month. The work session format allows only one time period for public comments, compared to the usual two. The new format, however, could change. Powell described tonight’s meeting as a “trial run.”

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota community newsletter, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Ohio election 2011, reductions, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

The Lakota Board of Education is scheduled to meet at the school district’s central office, 5572 Princeton Road in Liberty Township, at 7 p.m. Monday.

It will be the first regularly scheduled school board meeting since the eve of Election Day.

The board, however, met last Monday and announced that $9 million in cuts could be on the way after officials saw its tax levy fail at the polls in early November.

The failed levy was the district’s third in the past 18 months.

“It’s a worst-case scenario,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia told the board. “But we’re in trouble. Job cuts will be a significant part of the $9 million because right now we have a budget crises going on, so right now we have to eliminate $9 million.”

• Lakota school district could cut $9 million from budget
• Why did the latest proposed Lakota school levy fail?
• Lakota levy fails for third since 2005

After a failed levy in November 2010, the board of education approved a new teacher contract (three years and includes a freeze on step/longevity increases as well as health care concessions) and trimmed $10.2 million off its annual budget in 2011-2012.

The majority of those cuts, excluding busing, were approved in late May.

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota community newsletter, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Ohio election 2011, reductions, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia

Millions of additional dollars in budget cuts are coming to Lakota Schools in the wake of this month’s school levy ballot defeat, according to a report from the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Below is a portion of the report:

This school year’s $10.2 million in budget reductions may be nearly repeated for the 2012-2013 school year with about $9 million more in cuts on the way, Lakota officials announced during Monday evening’s school board meeting.

District officials at the board work session said another round of personnel cuts next year must be planned for and carried out in the spring since the earliest the school board wants to return to the ballot with another tax hike is June.

Lakota faces a projected budget shortfall of $14.1 million by 2015 despite historically deep budget reductions in staffing, student programs and busing in recent years.

“It’s a worst-case scenario,” Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia told the board. “But we’re in trouble. Job cuts will be a significant part of the $9 million because right now we have a budget crises going on, so right now we have to eliminate $9 million.”

Earlier this month, on Election Day, voters turned down a 4.75-mill tax levy (roughly 54 percent against and 46 percent for) that would have raised $12.6 million for the school district with collections beginning in January.

It was third time in the past 18 months that the community voted down a school levy. Lakota has not passed a tax levy since 2005.

Due to Ohio’s presidential primary there will only be three election dates in 2012 compared to the usual four. Even though no action was taken, school board members made it clear that they were not interested in the March primary election date because of the fast approaching filing deadline (Dec. 7).

Elections in Ohio are currently also scheduled for June and November 2012.

The board is scheduled to meet in its regular public session 7 p.m. Monday at the district’s Central Office at 5572 Princeton Road, Liberty Township.

For the entire report from the Cincinnati Enquirer, visit Cincinnati.com’s post “Lakota faces $9M in further cuts.”

Posted in: Board of Education, Election, Levy news, News, Schools |

Tags: Tags: Butler County election 2011, cuts, election 2011, Karen Manita, Karen Mantia, Lakota, Lakota community newsletter, Lakota cuts, Lakota Local Schools, Lakota reductions, Lakota school levy, Lakota Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, Lakota Superintendent Karen Mantia, Lakota Treasurer Jenni Logan, Ohio election 2011, reductions, school board, school levy, Superintendent Dr. Karen Mantia, superintendent Karen Mantia