By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Voters said no rather soundly to all three school levies on the ballot in Crawford County on Tuesday.
Voters in the Colonel Crawford School District voted against two different levies on Election Day.
The issue for a .5-mill tax levy for general improvements, which would have given the district the funds to tear down old school buildings in Sulfur Springs, North Robinson, and Whetstone, as well as guaranteed state funds for a new high school wing failed with 978 Colonel Crawford school district voters voting against the levy and 794 voters voting for the levy.
Colonel Crawford Superintendent Todd Martin explained the school district’s next move.
“I guess the big thing we have to do now is to gauge the community and see where we go from here.”
Martin continued explaining what will be done at the school district.
“Tomorrow I need to contact the OFCC and see where we are at with the project. The guarantee of the 6.4 million was passing that .5mill Maintenance PI levy. That was the guarantee,” Martin said. “Can we still proceed? Because in one meeting we were told we can, and one meeting you need that .5-mill. I really wanted that piece taken care of tonight so we could at least get the buildings tore down, and the academic wing added. That’s discouraging, but we will figure out where we go tomorrow.”
The first levy issue, a 1.8-mill bond issue for a new gymnasium was defeated with 1,013 voters in the school district turning out to vote down the issue and 758 voting for the levy.
Martin explained that with the bond issue for the gymnasium it came down to the public to decide.
“As for the gym and the bond issue for the 1.8 mills we didn’t want to make that decision as a school board and superintendent,” Martin said. “We wanted the community here it is and they voted and they decided.”
Despite both levies failing Martin remains optimistic about the Colonel Crawford School District.
“We are still going to put out a good product. I have great teachers, great administrators, great kids and families. We just need to figure out what we want to do as far as facilities.”
With Election Day over Galion received bad news once again at the polls with their levy failing to pass.
The 8-mill levy for operating expenses with an additional 1.4 mills for general improvements combining for a 9.4 mills was defeated with 1,777 votes against the levy with 1,068 votes for the measure.
Galion City School District Treasurer Terri Day was unsure if the school district would pursue another levy in a future election.
“Tomorrow the Galion School District Board of Education will meet with Superintendent Mark Stefanik where the issue of a possible future levy will be discussed,” Day said. “In the past few years the school has gone into deficit spending since the repeal of the levy in 2004.”
If passed the levy would have gone towards sustaining the district with hopes to bring back some of the programs that had to be cut since 2004.