“It has been 9 years since the last levy passed (2014) and despite this, our schools have flourished.” – Kathy Weimer, LCSD resident and voter.
LETTER TO THE EDITOR: From Kathy Weimer
LOVELAND, OH (April 27, 2023) – I am voting in favor of the Loveland City School 4.9 mill operating levy on May 2, 2023.
I have been a proud resident of Loveland since 1990 and have raised three children who attended and graduated from Loveland. Each of my children had unique abilities (i.e., athletic, gifted, musical, special needs etc.). All three have graduated from college and are living productive lives in the greater Cincinnati area. I am a strong believer that the Loveland Schools did a wonderful job of preparing my children for their futures and met each one of them as they were to facilitate a path to successful futures.
I voted no to a levy for my first and only time in 2019 when the district was asking for a 16.67 mill levy that would have cost each homeowner $49. /mo. additional tax per $100,000. home valuation. That levy went down a resounding 78% to 22% (source: Clermont, Hamilton & Warren County Board of Elections). Since then, we have seen a lot of changes in our school administration (new superintendent) and membership on the School Board. I can understand how people could have lost faith in our school district due to the 2019 levy proposal but I do believe we have accountability and transparency with the professionals who are serving our schools now.
It has been 9 years since the last levy passed (2014) and despite this, our schools have flourished. Loveland is:
*in the top 2% in the state of Ohio’s Department of Education Scorecard. Our schools are doing a fantastic job preparing our children for their future!
*in the bottom 2% for a student teacher ratio. In other words, we have fewer teachers to teach our kids! 98% of the state has a better student to teacher ratio (source: CUPP Report). It speaks so highly of the teaching core that we have to be providing such a high-quality education given the constraints they are working under!
*Loveland spends less money per pupil than almost half of the districts in Ohio (source: CUPP Report). This has meant a freeze in pay for many of the teachers and staff that work with our children, cutting bus services to the high school, reducing student offerings in music, gifted and library programming. This district has been using fiscal restraint for the last several years.
If voters choose not to support our students in this May election, our administration will be forced to make difficult decisions. It has been reported that class sizes will increase, class offerings will be reduced, and the state fiscal distress process will begin. I believe the district has done their best to “tighten their belts over the last several years” so a lack of additional revenue will cause unseemly changes to be made.
A 4.9% mill operating levy will mean the following according to these sources: (Loveland City Schools website & Clermont, Hamilton & Warren County Auditor sites )-
$200,000. Home valuation will see an additional $344.00 in taxes per year (less than $30/mo.)
$400,000 Home valuation will see an additional $688.00 in taxes per year (about $58. /mo.)
The current levy proposal is still not costing a vast majority of voters even an additional $1000.00 per year. Remember too that the 2019 levy would have cost a homeowner with a $200,000 valuation $98. / mo. or $1176.00/ year (vs. $344/ year with current 2023 proposal). A passage of the 2019 levy would have meant huge tax increases for all homeowners ($400,000 evaluation would have cost $2352. / year while the 2023 proposal will cost $688. / year). The current levy is not about building new buildings or purchasing more land. It is about maintaining the facilities we have and compensating our teachers and staff fairly.
As a retiree, I have seen 3 increases in my Social Security income in the past 3 years with the greatest increase by far being in 2023 with an 8.7% increase (along with a 5.9% increase in 2022 and a 1.3% increase in 2021) source: Social Security administration.
Many of us are on fixed incomes but the federal government has acknowledged that costs have gone up due to inflation and are trying to address that.
We must acknowledge that our schools need our support to help maintain the quality of the education that is offered now. Our school district has been using fiscal restraint for the last few years and their costs still go up despite their best efforts.
Quite simply, a yes vote will help our community retain our excellent reputation as a top tier school district!
Thank you for your time and consideration. I hope you will exercise your right to vote on May 2nd!
NOTE: Kathy Weimer:
- parent of 3 Loveland Schools Graduates
- Currently retired
- Resident of the Loveland City School District since 1990.
