MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — The Mayfield City School District will be seeking passage of its first levy try since 2016.
The district, via Issue 51 on the Nov. 5 ballot, is asking for an additional 5 mills.
If approved, the levy would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 an additional $14.58 more per month.
The owner of a property valued at $200,000 would pay $29.16 more per month, and the owner of a home valued at $300,000 another $43.74 more per month.
“This is our first levy in eight years, and when (the last new-money levy) passed in 2016 it was thought that it would last four years,” said Issue 51 Campaign Chair and former Mayfield Heights councilwoman Gayle Teresi.
“(Mayfield Schools Treasurer) Scott Snyder has done a terrific job of stretching it out to eight years.”
Increased funding from the levy will go toward operating costs.
Specifically, the district has stated that the money will go toward safety enhancements that will improve security in school buildings, the expansion of early education programs and the expansion of career readiness programs
The latter includes the Excel TECC program, which provides hands-on methods for preparing students for careers in health care, construction, trades, engineering and other high-demand fields.
Although Excel TECC includes students from other nearby high schools, levy money will only go toward supporting Mayfield City School District students and expanding the program at Mayfield High School.
“We’ve had to turn away 100 (Mayfield High) kids from Excel TECC,” Teresi said.
She said levy passage will mean that the program can accommodate more Mayfield students.
“With college becoming very expensive (the success of Excel TECC) is even more important,” she said.
”They’re teachings kids that there is life without college, if that’s the plan. They’re teaching kids skills that we need.”
The district has stated that the levy is needed to keep its 5-Star rating on the state report card, as well as its 99 percent graduation rate.
Without passage, the district notes, it will begin deficit spending to the tune of $1.5 million in 2025.
If passed, Issue 51 will bring in an additional estimated $7.74 million annually.
Teresi said that, so far, a good many residents have shown support for the levy within the district, which covers Mayfield Heights, Mayfield, Highland Heights and Gates Mills.
“We’ve had 700 people ask for yard signs,” she said. “I think people realize that this is an investment in their cities, an investment in their kids.
“Everybody makes financial investments, but this is an investment in the community, and I think people realize that.
“If there’s one thing people have been a little nervous about it’s the (Cuyahoga) County (property value) reappraisals.
“I think they think they’re going to be really hit by that,” Teresi said.
With the reappraisals generally coming in at about 30 percent higher than homes’ current values, residents have shown concern about paying higher property taxes on top of the levy.
But Teresi said it should be kept in mind that the levy increase will be based on 2023 values.
In a Q&A online posting about the levy, the district states, “The district is expected to receive less than 2 percent of additional revenue resulting from the 2024 reappraisal.
“While this percentage is slightly higher than our original estimate, it is still not sufficient to offset the current year (2024-25) operating deficit.
“When we passed our last levy in 2016, we indicated that we would be back on the ballot in 2020. However, we were able to stretch that levy another four years and, unfortunately, at the same time as reappraisal.
“Your specific house appraisal of 30 percent (of higher value) will not result in a property tax increase of 30 percent,” the district notes.
“The majority of the school taxes, roughly 90 percent, will be subjected to the reduction factors that you see on your tax bill and generate the same revenue as the year prior.
“The remaining 10 percent will ultimately generate less than 2 percent additional revenue, as mentioned above.
“And finally, Mayfield City Schools collect only 59 cents of every tax dollar paid, with the remaining 41 cents going to Mayfield Heights, Mayfield Village, Highland Heights, Gates Mills or Cuyahoga County.”
For more information about the levy, see the district posting here.
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