News
Lancaster Superintendent Says He’ll Recommend Putting Issue Back On Ballot
By: Cheri Russo
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The superintendent of Lancaster City Schools says he'll recommend that the board of education put another levy before voters in March.
Rob Walker says he's disappointed the .5 mill bond issue and tax levy for construction and renovation of the district's elementary schools failed yesterday.
However, he says the district only has one year to pass the levy in order to get $27 million from the Ohio Schools Facilities Commission, so quick action is required.
"For us, at this point, it means really analyzing the data, looking at our precincts and looking at the voting results and seeing who we are reaching and who we're not and trying to identify what we can do as we move forward," says Walker.
Walker says they put the issue on the ballot in November after more than two years of community engagement meetings.
He says they believed they put an issue before voters that was what they wanted and was affordable.
However, three other tax issues were on the ballot in Lancaster yesterday and Walker says that likely hurt the school district.
"Many people felt that our issue, by itself, passes and felt that, again, it was a great package and a great opportunity for the community and most importantly for our students. Do I think that having three other tax issues on the ballot hurt our opportunity and chance? Yes, it did," says Walker.
Lancaster residents voted on tax issues for the Fairfield Historical Parks, the city's operating budget and the repair of city streets, roads and bridges.
The Lancaster School District levy failed with 58 percent voting no and 42 percent voting yes.
Walker says he'll recommend going back to the ballot at the next board meeting on November 22.