Lorain Schools' levy needs to pass to avoid more cuts

Lorain Schools needs more revenue if the district is to avoid deeper budget cuts than it already has made in recent years. Which is why the district is asking voters to approve an 11-mill property tax levy that would generate just over $10.6 million annually. As Superintendent Jeff Graham and Treasurer Tia Kearney told us last week, without the influx of revenue from the levy, the district would need to slash another $4 million to $8 million from its annual budget of around $100 million. That would be on top of the $6.4 million in cuts the district made in fiscal years 2025 and 2026 and another $17 million in cuts the school board recently approved for the next school year. The most recent round of cuts include eliminating 167 jobs, including teachers, throughout the district, cutting all-day preschool, and ending its dance program at the elementary and middle schools. Those cuts will mean larger class sizes. Those cuts aren't good news for the district's roughly 6,100 students. The district also is repurposing two elementary schools as part of its cost-saving efforts. Frank Jacinto Elementary will become a specialized school for students with autism, while Garfield Elementary will house the district's half-day preschool classes. "We can't cut our way out of this," Graham said. Part of the reason for the budget cuts, which were mandated by the state, is that the district has lost significant revenue. Heading into this school year, the district lost about $4.9 million in state funding, around $787,000 in federal funding and about $1 million in local funding. The local funding loss was the result of the Lorain County commissioners expanding homestead and owner-occupancy tax credits. Beyond that, there's no guarantee that the state won't slash funding for public schools in the next biennial state budget. It's also worth noting that the district isn't immune from the rising costs that everyone else is dealing with. For example, Graham said rising gas prices mean that the district is spending about $1 more per gallon of diesel fuel for its buses, which use between 4,400 and 5,000 gallons per day. Those costs obviously add up quickly. Even with the cuts and the renewal last year of two levies that generate around $14.1 million annually, the district still will be deficit spending without additional revenue, Kearney warned. Next year, she predicted the district would spend about $3 million more than it takes in were the levy, identified on the ballot as Issue 5, to fail. "If the levy passes, we're good through fiscal year 2030," Kearney said. There's no sugarcoating that the levy is a big ask. Were Issue 5 to pass, the owner of a home valued at $100,000 would pay about $385 per year, according to county Auditor Craig Snodgrass' office. It would be in effect for five years. But voters should also be aware that the levy is only about half of the 22 mills worth of additional property tax income that Graham has said the district would need to fully deal with its budget problems. Again, we recognize that the district is asking a lot from voters and property owners, but the alternative is more cuts, which would further hamper Lorain Schools' ability to educate its students. Lorain School desperately needs the levy to pass, and we urge voters to do their part by casting their ballots in favor of Issue 5.