Amherst school levy fails

A levy that sought to raise funds for Amherst schools was denied by voters during Tuesday's general election, according to unofficial results from the Lorain County Board of Elections. With all precincts reporting, the levy was denied with 5,731 votes for — 46.7 percent — to 6,538 votes against — 53.3 percent — according to unofficial election results. Provisional ballots still remain to be counted. On Tuesday night, Superintendent Mike Molnar, Treasurer Amelia Gioffredo and the Board of Education released a statement, expressing disappointment in the election's outcome. "We are deeply disappointed that Issue 1 did not pass and we recognize the difficult road ahead for the Amherst Exempted Village School District," Amherst schools stated. "On behalf of the Board of Education and our district leadership, we want to begin by sincerely thanking everyone who supported Issue 1, advocated for our schools, volunteered their time, engaged in conversations with neighbors and believed in the importance of investing in our students and our community. Your support means a great deal to us and we are grateful for your commitment to Amherst Schools." Amherst Schools sought voter approval of an additional 5.97-mill levy, which — if approved — would have generated approximately $5.8 million annually for district operations. "The financial challenges facing Amherst Schools are significant and the future of our district is increasingly uncertain," the district stated. Molnar previously said that the district had sought the additional revenue as operating costs have continued to rise while state funding has declined. During the Amherst Schools Board of Education meeting in early August, the district revealed the financial trajectory for the coming years. At that time, officials indicated that if the district's fiscal path was not altered, Amherst schools were projected to begin deficit spending in fiscal year 2027 — thus depleting the district's fund balance into fiscal year 2030. "Based on our current financial circumstances, continued deficit spending could result in the state placing Amherst Schools under precautionary financial status and requiring the district to develop a written plan to eliminate its projected deficit," Amherst schools stated. "Last year, our district was required to identify $13.2 million in reductions over a three-year period. Despite those difficult decisions and the efforts already made to control spending, our financial challenges remain. Further significant reductions will most likely be necessary due to the failure of Issue 1." Contact Garrett Looker at glooker@chroniclet.com.