Common Questions

What is an operating levy?
Public Schools such as Nordonia Hills City School District receive approximately 81.5% of their funding from local property taxes. These property taxes are approved by voters through levies for specific uses. Types of levies that are used in the Nordonia Hills City School District include:

  • Bond Levy—provides funding specifically to repay a construction loan or mortgage. A bond levy was passed by the Nordonia Hills City School District voters in 2008 to renovate and rebuild all outside athletic facilities at Nordonia High School.
  • Permanent Improvement (PI) Levy—provides funding for the repair, maintenance, and minor improvement of facilities. Examples of these types of expenses include roof and window repair, repaving parking lots, and installing new lighting. A PI Levy was approved by Nordonia Hills City School District voters in May of 2006.
  • Operating Levy—provides funds used only for the day to day operations of the school district. Operational expenses include items such as teacher salaries, bus driver and aid salaries, textbooks, gas and electric, fuel, and many others. An issue for a new operating levy will appear on the ballot in the February election.

What will this levy be used for?
As an operating levy, it will fund only the day to day operations of the school district. Operational expenses include items such as teacher salaries, bus driver and aid salaries, textbooks, gas and electric, fuel, and many others.

Why does the Nordonia Hills City School District need this operating levy?
Even though Nordonia School’s cost per pupil is among the lowest in the area, its funding has not kept pace with the rising costs of education. The school district is in a deficit spending situation. To understand how this came to be we need to look at both the funding and spending part of the equation.

Funding
The total amount of money taken in from local property taxes has remained essentially flat since the last operating levy was passed in 2004. This begs the question; “How can that be, when property values have continued to rise, and new homes have been built since 2004?” The answer is a state law called House Bill 920 (HB920). HB920 states that a school district cannot take in any more total money from a levy than when it was passed.

If the levy doesn’t pass in November will the district still offer all day Kindergarten in the fall of 2010?

Yes.  All day Kindergarten is not contingent upon whether or not the levy passes.  The Board of Education has approved all day Kindergarten for next school year 2010-2011.

When was the last operating levy passed?

August 2004

How long was the operating levy passed in 2004 supposed to last?

3-4 years

Did the District make any cuts or reductions to save money?

  1. Yes…some of the reductions include
  • Staff Early Retirement Incentive Program – resulting in a total savings of close to $2 million dollars
  • Reductions to building/department budgets – resulting in a reduction in expenses of close to $500,000
  • A district-wide Green Initiative was established in 2009 – with estimated savings of $50,000 in printing and paper costs
  • Negotiated a lower natural gas contract resulting in lower natural gas price.  The renewal figure for our natural gas contract (11/1/09 – 10/31/10) is down to a fixed price of $7.12 per MCF.  Our rate over the past year has been $9.03 per MCF.
  • Reduction in Workers Compensation premium of close to $280,000 per year – comparing 2005 premiums to 2010 projected premiums. 
  • Utilizing new contract pricing for office supplies –anticipated savings of close to $20,000.
  • Reduction in energy costs – part of the Energy for Education III electric program electricity costs have been further reduced to 5.1 cents per kWh, which translates to approximately a 23% discount from the local utility’s standard rate which will result in anticipated savings at the elementary school buildings of $1,000 per month and the high school savings up to  $3000 per month
  • 2011-2012 – Certified staff members will assume more of the cost of their health care premiums.