If Issue 49 is approved by voters on Nov. 3, the proposed $14-million in budget reductions will not be necessary, and the current quality educational program can be maintained in the Worthington schools.

 

Levy campaign chairperson Jennifer Economus and John Herrington, representing Educate Worthington, seemed to agree to that much during a debate on the 6.9-mill Worthington Schools operating levy held Oct. 6 at Congregation Beth Tikvah.

The trouble is, Herrington added, the system cannot continue much longer. If not now, residents will soon be forced to decide to either give less generous raises to teachers, cut student programs, or continue to approve sizable levies every two or three years.

"The issue is sustainability," he said. "If we don't get spending under control, we are like the Titanic heading for an iceberg."

Economus did not address the long-term financial picture, instead stressing that the levy must be approved to assure the continuance of strong programs for students and strong home values for property owners.

She also reminded the audience that it has been five years since the district approved an operating levy, and said that $11-million has been cut from the budget in the past three years.

Herrington said that the relationship between levies and property values is not that clear. If you were considering purchasing a home in Worthington and learned property taxes were about to increase, would you be willing to buy that home, he asked.

Both agreed that the $14-million in cuts that will be made if the levy fails would hurt children. The school board has committed to those reductions, which include cutting jobs, programs, classes, busing and extracurricular activities.

"Those cuts are real and we are very concerned," Economus said.

Herrington said that in other businesses, spending reductions would be targeted at salaries. But with the district locked into a four-year contract with teachers, the only cuts possible will be those that directly impact kids, he said.

Economus said she wants her preschooler to receive the same kind of quality education that earned the district an "excellent with distinction" rating from the state this year.

"We need to keep getting proven excellent results in the Worthington schools," she said. "Good schools are great for our community."

But even if voters approve this levy, they will face another in 2012, followed by a third in 2013 or 2014, Herrington said.

"We cannot waste time re-arranging the deck chairs," he said. "Our focus must be on changing course in order to avoid a disaster."