To the Editor:

Just after the November 2009 election, Educate Worthington wrote:

"Unfortunately, the cumulative cost of many years of 5 percent to 6 percent average raises, nearly free health insurance, taxpayer-funded health care deductibles and extremely generous retirement packages cannot be offset by a partial salary freeze every 16 years. In fact, the new five-year forecast proves this by showing that even after taking these 'freezes' into account, the district still projects ever larger levies in 2012 and 2014 -- or sooner."

It appears that the "sooner" has now arrived.

According to a recent school board meeting, a new operating levy is being considered to appear on the ballot as early as 2011. This will have the interesting implication of requesting a new levy before the previous one is fully collected -- if you recall, the last installment of the previous levy, 1.5 mills, goes into effect for 2011. As far as we know, this is unprecedented in Ohio.

While the size of this new levy has not yet been determined, we do know that there will be over $15 million in cuts through 2014, according to the newest forecast. $15 million, coincidentally, is the same amount in cuts that some in the levy campaign, the union and the school board regularly circulated in order to pass the 2009 levy.

Are salary and benefit costs being "cut?" No. The projected increase in salary spending for 2012 through 2014 is approximately 2.3 percent, 2.4 percent and 3.4 percent, respectively. And you might also note that despite the union's offer of "0 percent base raises" for 2012, the salary budget still increases nearly $2 million, in large part due to the automatic step raises that are unaffected. And as for health care, these costs alone are projected to rise 13 percent per year.

The administration and board indicated that they will have to "prepare the community" for the impending cuts -- and the need to ask for more money sooner than expected. Perhaps they should also consider "preparing the union" to share more fully and fairly in any sacrifices that our students and our residents may face.

Oh, and as for the two-year levy cycle? It will continue into the foreseeable future until one of two things happens: either there is a fundamental change in the spending on salaries and benefits, or we move toward a one-year levy cycle.

John Herrington
 

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