Education: Syracuse University, Previous work experience: Orlando, FL (WKMG), Scranton, PA (WNEP), ABC News Nightline (Intern), 2010 NBC Vancouver Winter Olympics (Intern)
Voters in Portage County will decide on a $5.4 million school levy for Streetsboro City Schools on May 5 , a decision that could determine the future of the district's sports and extracurricular clubs. If approved, the levy would generate $5,438,944 each year.
This adds up to about $245 for an assessed $100,000 home.School leaders say the funding would go toward teacher salaries and benefits, curriculum materials, and classroom technology.Without the levy, the district said it will cut junior varsity sports for the upcoming school year, as well as all middle school and freshman sports. This is in addition to extracurricular activities that were already pulled back in November. The affected programs include the anti-bullying club, middle school art club, chess club, social acceptance club, foreign language club, international culture club, Just Say No club, high school and middle school STEM clubs, pep band, music ensemble, high school and middle school jazz clubs, select choir, treble choir, BETA club, and the high school and elementary student councils.District leaders have already cut junior varsity sports for the current spring sports season. 'Would hate to see them miss out on these opportunities,' parent Jim Curtin, who helps run the YES for Streetsboro Schools Levy Facebook page, said.' recently tried out for cheerleading and made the squad and we don’t know if there will be a squad next year,' parent Sara Jonas said.For parents, the goal is to keep the opportunities adults had when they were kids.'This is what helps a kid learn who they are, develop their talent, understand their interests, and ultimately this is what they put on college applications and job applications,' one parent said. 'This is a big deal. We as parents understand that everyone is feeling the pinch right now. We absolutely understand it. But I hope they feel all kids deserve these opportunities.' For Streetsboro resident Rod Flauhaus, who runs the Streetsboro Residents for School Accountability Facebook page, those voting no aren’t against athletics or clubs for kids – far from it. “They got rid of clubs like the anti bullying club and Streetsboro has had major bullying incidents,” he explained. “To cut that out, but to make sure that salary and benefits, platinum level benefits, are protected... It just doesn't seem like that's the right strategy.”He told News 5 this comes down to looking at other parts of the school budget and the rising costs for senior citizens and those on fixed incomes. “It's not that they don't support the kids and want the kids to have a good education, It just comes down to they can't afford it,” he said. “There needs to be a different way to do this and we can't just continue passing levies when you have a lot of people who are on fixed incomes, social security, even just lower incomes, having a very hard time now paying property taxes. Our community is different from the surrounding communities of Hudson, Aurora and Solon and the demographics are different. The average income is very different and they're having a hard time affording this.” Flauhaus points to the two previous failed school levies as proof that the conversation needs to change when it comes to how the school district is funded and where the money goes. “I think everybody here in the community does care about the kids greatly and wants good education, but we also want accountability and financial responsibility within our school district,” he said. More information about the levy provided by the school district can be found by clicking here. Clay LePard is the Ashtabula, Geauga and Portage counties reporter at News 5 Cleveland. Follow him on X @ClayLePard, on Facebook ClayLePardTV or email him at Clay.LePard@wews.com.
Election Day Levy May 5 Streetsboro Streetsboro City Schools
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