All three new school funding issues were defeated in Clark County, according to unofficial results from Tuesday's election. Northeastern had asked voters for a new income tax, and Clark-Shawnee sought a 7.59-mill additional levy to avoid a deficit.
Tecumseh Local Schools also failed to get its 5-year, 12.37-mill levy passed, with unofficial results showing that 54 percent of the voters rejected the measure. The district could face an operating deficit of over $7 million by 2017.
The outcome was not a surprise to Superintendent Bradley Martin, since it was the district's 11th failed levy request in nine years. He says another levy request will likely be on the ballot in May.
"I plan on meeting with the board over the next few weeks and figuring out, how can we get this passed?" he said.
The district has made $8 million in cuts to staffing and educational programs since 2004. Martin says this year $800,000 was trimmed from salaries and high school busing was cut to avoid a state takeover, but more classes and teachers will be lost after Tuesday's ballot box defeat. Martin says Tecumseh Schools needs more financial help from the state.
If Tecumseh's levy had been successful, it would've generated $3.5 million, costing the owner of a $100,000 home $432 a year.
