Campaign volunteers have been knocking on doors, phoning residents and distributing signs and lapel buttons that ask voters to "Vote Yes on Issue 49: Vote for Proven Results."

The "proven results" are illustrated by the district's latest state report card, which gave Worthington schools an "Excellent with Distinction" rating, campaign volunteers said.

The colorful signs and buttons are to promote Issue 49 on the Nov. 3 ballot, the 3.9-mill incremental operating levy for Worthington schools.

The levy, if approved by voters, would begin at 3.9 mills in January and increase by 1.5 mills both 2011 and 2112, ending at an 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 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.

Three residents spoke about the levy request at the school board meeting Monday, Oct. 12.

Kathy Sato told board members, "I helped elect some of you.

"The kind of excellent rating we recently got on the state report card doesn't happen by accident -- you are all intelligent people with broad vision," she said. "Our school values and our home values are important and most of us know the only way to keep our excellent with distinction rating is to pass the levy.

"I have my own personal yardstick for 'proven results,' " she said. "I have two kids in grad school -- one is an economist and one is on her way to becoming a veterinarian."

John Butterfield, a Worthington City Council member, said his two children had gone through Worthington schools and he has a grandchild at Worthington Estates Elementary School.

"I believe our public schools are an integral part of our community and the quality of our schools is the reason many new residents come to Worthington," he said. "Our schools have maintained quality over the years and made a real difference for students and families.

"I don't claim to know all the details about the district and its finances, but I believe the leadership and the employees of the school district know about the impact of a new levy on our residents, because it has been five years since you asked for a levy," he said. "I know this levy is needed and I hope voters will realize how important our schools are to the identity of our community."

William Fallon had a different viewpoint.

"I've had seven children go through Worthington schools ... but I think there has been a gross overstatement that the district cut $11 million over three years," he said. "I met with the treasurer and looked over a financial report that showed a $4 million item was 'cost-shifted' from the bond issue, which was a large part of the $11 million. So money was shifted from one fund to another fund.

"So all we have to do is shift fund money between school district funds until we save the amount of money of the operating levy," he said.

Superintendent Melissa Conrath said the district "needs to secure revenue to support the existing operations in the district."

McCuen said the district would have to identify more than $14 million in budget cuts if the levy doesn't pass in November.

"We want to continue to identify and implement expenditure reductions," she said. "We plan on doing a facilities audit to see how we can situate our students to take advantage of the facilities we have. We are also collecting data to determine the capacity at each building and looking at enrollment to make sure we are using each building efficiently."

Conrath showed board members a "District Balanced Scorecard," which listed performance indicators such as the district report card, math and reading achievement tests, the elementary school, middle school and high school renewal programs, the operating levy and communications efforts.

The scorecard listed "targets" and what would be "above target" and assigned a certain number of points.

The target for the operating levy, for example, would be "passage" as a unit of measure with a target of "50 percent plus one yes vote." The above target would be "53 percent plus one yes vote."

"The balanced scorecard is meant to act as a districtwide improvement plan," Conrath said.

Campaign members have set up a Web site for voter information, celebrateworthington.org, which contains links to three Facebook pages about the levy request.