Xenia Community Schools is asking voters once again to pass an operating levy. It’s back on the May 2 ballot. It’s not a new tax and Xenia residents' taxes won’t increase.
On the evening of April 13, about 25 people showed up for a public information meeting about Issue 7. It’s a half percent income tax renewal benefiting the Xenia Community Schools. Currently, it generates about $5 million dollars for teacher and staff salaries, as well as funding academic, extra curricular and athletic programs.
In November, the measure failed by two votes. To prevent that from happening again–one resident suggested promoting all of the improvements currently being made in the school district. He said this will impress on Xenia voters the benefit of this renewal tax.
Superintendent Gabriel Lofton was quick to list the district's many accomplishments.
“We’ve renovated our auditorium, we’ve renovated our Benner Field House. Right now we’re building a $57 million dollar state of the art middle school (Warner Middle School) that will have some pretty high quality, innovative programs for kids who are in grades six through eight,” Lofton explained. “We’re also renovating the Doug Adams Stadium. So we want to keep that momentum and the way we can do that is for people to pass Issue 7.”
According to Loften, this is a seven year-renewable income tax.
