What's Happening in Stow, OH…

Voters in Stow gave their support to a renewal levy to cover the operating expenses for the school district.

The levy will produce $4.63m each year for the next five years. Tom Bratten, superintendent for the Stow-Monroe Falls City Schools, said he was grateful for the support of the community, which clearly wants what is best for the students.

Although the official results are not yet tabulated, the levy passed by a large margin: 2,755 votes for the measure (71.61%); with only 1,092 against (28.39%). Bratten said the levy will allow the schools to keep the programs and the staffing at their current levels, which in turn will allow them to provide the very best education to Stow students. He also thanked all those who had gone to the polls.

Currently, the levy is collected at 5.16 mills, which means a homeowner whose house is worth $100,000 will pay approximately $158 yearly. The levy makes up about 14% of the money collected by the school district at the present time, from annual voted tax millage.

The whole budget for the schools this year is nearly $58m. Losing the levy would have been devastating, according to the district’s interim treasurer, David Osborne.

School district officials might consider working with brochure printers on a booklet for district voters that explains the levy and the budget.