Levy-tation

Tuesday citizens of three school districts around the Cincinnati area voted whether or not to pass levies that would allow a rise in property taxes to pay for improvements to each district. Northwest school district, Three Rivers District, and Monroe District all had their levies fail on Tuesday to send the school boards, administrators, and faculty into frenzy to decide the next course of action. In the Northwest District voters rejected a $5.7 million emergency levy (which amounts to a little under $170 annually on a $100,000 home), since the levy failed about 7,000 students this Fall will go without bus transportation in the district. School Board president Chris Heather believes that on Monday the district will draw up plans for a cheaper levy to be on the ballot for this November's election. Monroe and Three Rivers will also be faced with the same task, all three of which must have their proposals in by August 24th to meet the November deadline. The bigger question at stake here is why residents of any district would defeat minor levies to save a few bucks in property tax? Ask any real estate agent what makes an elite community with high property values and every time a quality public school system will be among the top 2 or 3 replies. Communities with well-funded, and well-managed public school systems are much more likely to increase and hold their property values. This means that no matter how much a citizen hates the idea of contributing money to education (a problem in of itself), it still makes fiscal sense to do so for the increase in property values. Schools across Ohio and the nation are constantly struggling to get the funds they need to maintain a healthy school system, and its the majority of miserable misers who are a large part to blame for such under funded and therefore underachieving schools. This November vote yes to pass your local school levy; in the long-term it just makes sense.