Campaign volunteers will be out in force soon, knocking on doors and leaving fliers and facts about Issue 49, the 3.9-mill incremental operating levy request for Worthington schools on the Nov. 3 ballot.

The campaign group has set up a Web site, celebrateworthington.org, that includes information about the levy request and links to voting registration, early voting forms and ways to contact volunteers who can provide yard signs and answer voters' questions.

The incremental levy, if approved by voters, would begin at 3.9 mills in January and increase by 1.5 mills in both 2011 and 2012, ending at a continuing amount of 6.9 mills.

Treasurer Jeff McCuen said if the tax issue is approved, the first year would cost a homeowner an additional $119 in annual taxes per $100,000 in property value. That amount would increase by $46 in each of the second and third years.

McCuen said the levy request would generate about $7.1 million for Worthington schools in the first year.

Jennifer Economus is the campaign manager; working with her are Kim Goldsmith and Karen Bressman.

On the Web site, the volunteers explain why Issue 49 is important to the school district:

"Issue 49 is about protecting our children and our community's future ... Without our support, our children's education, our property values and our future are in danger," stated information on the Web site. "Issue 49 will provide the district with the funds it needs to prevent harmful cuts. The district has made $11 million in cuts in the past three years, and further reductions would severely endanger education. Without 49, we would have to make drastic cuts including all extracurricular and athletics as well as the programs that help our kids compete."

School board members approved a list of $15 million in further cuts as a "levy fail" list earlier this month.

Superintendent Melissa Conrath explained the list, saying, "We had to have a firm plan in place that would facilitate and aid the reduction process in case the levy fails."

The list includes eliminating more than 125 staff positions, middle school and freshman sports, high school busing and field trips.

Conrath said the certified staff positions that would have to be eliminated at the high school would result in a reduced number of courses for students.

Campaign volunteers remind voters on the Frequently Asked Questions page of the campaign Web site that not only did the district make $11 million in cuts in the last three years, but that district administrators gave back their raises for the school year and teachers agreed recently to freeze their base pay in the 2011-12 school year.

Voters failed to approve a 7.4-mill levy request in May.

One question on the FAQ page asks, "You just asked for a 7.4-mill levy in May. How are you able to ask for a lower millage now?"

The answer is, "After the failure of the May levy, the board and administration listened to the community and reduced the overall cost of the levy. The district was able to reduce the size of Issue 49 by working hard to trim the budget."

There are links on the Web site for residents who want to volunteer or contribute to the levy campaign.

For more information or to request a yard sign or volunteer, e-mail Kim Goldsmith at Kim@goldsmithgroup.org; Economus at Jeconomus@yahoo.com, or Karen Bressman at Karen_bressman@sbcglobal.net.