The Wickliffe City School District is seeking approval of an income tax on the ballot in November.
According to Lew Galante, the district’s chief financial officer and treasurer, it would be a 1 percent tax on earned income.
“The purpose of the levy is to support the basic programs of the school district such as academic programming, extracurricular activities and transportation of students,” he said.
The tax is based upon earned income, which excludes Social Security, retirement income and investment income, Galante said.
“The district last passed operating funds for the district in 2015,” he said. “Due to inflationary costs and our relatively flat revenue base, the district’s costs have outpaced the revenue that the district receives.”
The 2015 levy of $3 million still brings in $3 million due to the rollback measures in place under House Bill 920, Galante said. The district is projected to deficit spend in the general fund $1.5 million to $2 million this year and nearly $2.5 million to $3 million in 2027, wiping out any cash reserves the district has attempted to maintain.
“Without new funds, the district would be forced to reduce much if not all non-required activities and programming,” he said.
Galante said the Wickliffe School Board believes strongly that the district has a long and proud tradition of providing a strong, sound education to its students.
“We have a 97.7% graduation rate, which is the third highest in the county and we provide as much necessary individualized programming as we can to our students to help prepare them for success when they leave our campus,” he said.
A failure of this tax and the subsequent reduction and/or necessary eliminations of academic, athletic and other activities would be a disservice to the children in the community, Galante said.
“They deserve the same education and opportunities for success as those who preceded them,” he said.
There are currently 8,925 registered voters within the school district.
