School Board Sets Renewal Levy Vote For Aug. 6

In a divided 3-2 vote, the Twinsburg Board of Education voted Monday to put a 4.9-mill renewal levy on the ballot during the Aug. 6 special election.

School board members were united in their belief that the renewal levy is needed but had disagreements on the timing.

Board President Kate Cain-Criswell and members Stephen Shebeck and Ron Stuver voted to hold the levy in August. Vice President Paul Crosby and Board Member David Andrews voted no because they believed the levy should be in November.

The district administration supported putting the levy on the ballot in August.

The 4.9-mill levy was last approved in 2007 and brings in about $4.4 million annually for the district. School officials say the district would have to make cuts and operational changes without that money.

If approved, the levy would be good for five years and would then need to be re-authorized by voters. The board members had originally intended to have the levy becoming continuing, thus not needed a future renewal vote, but they changed their mind after hearing feedback from the community.

The move comes after the board decided in March to withdraw the 6.9-mill renewal levy from the ballot in May because of confusion over the governor's education budget proposal, which at the time showed Twinsburg receiving a large increase in state funding.

Stay tuned to Twinsburg Patch for more on this story.