OUTSTANDING RESULTS
FINANCIAL NEED FOR THE LEVY
CONTINUED FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
- Student achievement has never been higher. The Solon Schools have earned the #1 State of Ohio Report Card for three years in a row.
- Solon graduates are excelling in rigorous university environments.
- State, regional and national recognition in music, athletics, drama and competitive academic extracurricular activities.
FINANCIAL NEED FOR THE LEVY
- The Solon Schools have not had a new operating levy on the ballot since 2010.
- A levy is the only way to raise the revenue necessary to fund our excellent academic and extracurricular program.
- The state only provides 4.13% of district funding -- just $636 per student.
- State lawmakers accelerated the phase-out of Tangible Personal Property tax reimbursement funding. A decade ago, TPP funding accounted for 17% of the district’s operating revenues.
- Since 2010, the district has lost 5 mills annually in TPP funding. The entirety of the TPP funding will be phased out over the next few years, stripping an additional 4 mills from the district’s operating revenues.
- Without the accelerated loss of TPP funding, the district absolutely would not be on the ballot this year.
- The primary operating expenses for any school district is staffing. An appropriate level of staff is needed to provide an outstanding education, as well as maintain and preserve our buildings.
CONTINUED FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY
- This levy is not a result of the district outspending its resources.
- The Solon Schools have kept costs low and quality high.
- Issue 8 is an incremental levy phased in over two years. The net impact to Solon and Glenwillow taxpayers is 6.9 mills, the same as nearly all past Solon Schools operating levies.
- Phase one of this incremental levy asks voters to recapture 1.6 mills in bond debt retired this spring, meaning there will be no additional cost to property tax bills in 2019. The additional 6.9 mills would not be collected until 2020.
- Despite funding challenges, including ongoing state revenue reductions, Solon’s tax rates remain in the bottom half among comparison communities and no other school district achieves higher academic results.
- Even after the levy vote, 15 Cuyahoga County school districts will have higher tax rates than the Solon Schools.
- Ten area comparison school districts have higher operating per-pupil costs than Solon’s $12,799.
- The average increase in the district’s overall salary and wages from fiscal year 2010 to fiscal year 2017 has been a negative: -.23%.
- New 4-year negotiated agreements mean forecasting for staff costs remains stable.
- Employee benefit reductions and restrictions such as increased premiums and copays and elimination of primary spousal coverage remain in force.