BEAVERCREEK — Beavercreek City School District is asking voters to approve two levies on the Tuesday, May 7 ballot.
Issue 2 is a 6.15 mill additional emergency operating levy.
Voters would pay $215 or $17.92 per month for every $100,000 of property valuation.
If passed, the levy would generate $11.4 million per year. Monies generated from this levy would fund day-to-day operations of the schools — including transportation costs, utilities, classroom supplies and salaries, according to the school district.
The levy is additional money, not a renewal. It is not permanent, and renewable every five years. It would go into effect in 2019, first due in 2020.
“Failure of the operating levy will require the district to once again make significant budget cuts, which will directly impact course offerings for our students and current level of services, to help offset deficits,” Ryan Gilding, BCSD public relations specialist said.
While the levy is labeled with “emergency” requirements, this is a designation from the state and does not indicate a financial emergency, crisis or error, BCSD officials said on their website.
Issue 3 is a 1 mill permanent improvement renewal levy.
It costs voters $0.10 per $100 of valuation for a period of five years. Passage of this levy would not raise taxes, according to BCSD. It would go into effect in 2019, first due in 2020.
This levy is not new money. Beavercreek voters originally passed this levy in 1989. Most recently, it was renewed in 2013 and is set to expire.
The levy generates approximately $861,000 per year.
According to the BCSD website, money collected from a permanent improvement levy is used for capital improvement projects, maintenance and repairs of school property and certain equipment items that are designed to last five years or more — like technology, heating and air conditioning systems, roofs or facility upgrades. The funds cannot be used on staff salaries or benefits.
“Both levies help our district maintain what we already have and can offer,” Gilding said. “Passage allows our district to continue providing the level of service this community expects.”
