Moving in the right direction

The Massillon City School District continues to roll closer to keeping $3.4 million at the heart of its budget.

As results continue to come in, the district’s request for a 7 mill, $3.4 million levy appears to be sitting well with area residents. With nearly 40 percent of the results tabulated, the issue is passing 4,330 votes (60 percent) to 2,911 votes (40 percent.)

School district officials watched the results at the Massillon Club Tuesday. Dr. John McGrath, district Superintendent, noted that the first numbers were encouraging.

“We were delighted to see we were moving in the right direction,” McGrath said. “As we were gathered around waiting for the results, we weren’t sure about what was going to happen.”

As the results continued to slowly roll in, McGrath said he became more and more sure that the issue would pass. It reaffirmed for him, that this community truly values education and is more than willing to invest in its schools.

“Massillon is on the verge to take off and become an excellent school district,” McGrath said. “With the support of the public we will move in that direction very rapidly.”

To ensure that Massillon is on the path to excellence, the district must be sure that it is doing everything it can to provide the best possible education in the classroom, McGrath said. This levy – the renewal of the 1999 emergency levy – is critical for ensuring educational excellence by providing $3.4 million to programs and innitiatives.

“It’s very important,” McGrath said of the levy funds. “If you take $3.4 million out of your budget, that’s a big chunk.”

For Massillon, as with many school districts, 80 to 85 percent of the budget is used to fund programs and support those things that directly affect students and what they learn in the classroom.

When the levy was first passed in 1999, the Massillon City Schools had been operating under fiscal emergency. Pay-to-participate fees had been instated, cuts had been made in regard to busing and Massillon was facing additional cuts – likely with personnel – if the levy had failed.

The picture looked very different Tuesday when voters hit the polls. Having made more than $1.5 million worth of voluntary budget cuts, the Massillon school system was operating in the black with a carry over of $8 million carryover to this fiscal year.

Deficits, though, are still projected. The district is expecting a $750,000 deficit in two years and $14 million deficit by 2011. The reasons for that projection lie in rising costs of operations – specifically with the costs for utility bills and diesel fuel for buses. The Massillon schools, on a monthly basis, spending more than they are taking in. The $3.4 million generated by the emergency levy passed in 1999 will help, McGrath said, to keep the district afloat for a while.