Austintown schools seek new five-year levy

Austintown has done nothing to reduce their cost of education. They just continue to penalize parents of kids in schools. The school board is not deserving of an increase until they do balance their budget. The teachers are still not paying anywhere near their fair share on healthcare. Like the other school boards in the area, what do they think we are all made of money that can continue to pay higher taxes? People can not afford the tax increases any longer. Retirees are especially hurting with the new high cost of utilities, groceries, and gas while on a fixed income. We can not afford to pay any more. I suggest everyone vote NO NO NO. It's time for Governor Strickland and the legislature to step forward with a plan that works and it's not more real estate taxes paid by the locals.

Austintown Board members cannot even be serious in thinking that levy has a smowballs chance of passing. Have they checked gas prices lately? Or grocery prices? People cannot afford to put gas in there cars or struggling to put groceries on the table. We just received a letter that our gas price to heat our home was guaranteed LAST YEAR to not be more than $10.83 / mcf, this year the guaranteed not to exceed is $15.865/mcf. So I think the Board needs to make other adjustments because the answer is NO !!! And that is from a parent of two children in the Austintown schools!

Public employees are simply out of touch with reality. They think the trough grows forever and that taxpayers should continually provide more for them and less for the taxpayer. It's time the taxpayers took a stand and voted no on all new tax increases. It's time that the public workers faced the same reality that the taxpayers face. Shrinking incomes and less benefits.

Here is an idea. Ask the teachers if they are willing to give up a percentage of their salary. If they are not willing, what makes you think that I want to? The Austintown Board of Education needs to get employee costs under control before they ask the taxpayer to give more. It was quoted that the recent retirement of senior teachers will save $90,000 per year in salary and benefits. How many Austintown residents receive $90K in salary and benefits?? My vote is NO!

As I see it,,VOTE NO. We give and give. And to repeat the others,,everybody is feeling the pinch,,so should the teachers. Who by the way have all holidays off and all summer off. Why don't we look at a 4 day school week??????

Save 1 days worth of gas, miles,wear and tear on busses.
Teachers work 4 days also.- close the school. Save on utilities, cleaning, ect.

I am sure there are many other things that would see a savings with this....

Any comments?????????

That sounds great-t-t piwohio, but that would only put our kids with a l-o-n-g-e-r day ~~ the 7 hours lost for no friday school would have to be incorporated among the 4 days that they have school. As it is, some kids are not getting home off the bus until 4:30 - 5 PM. Just can't imagine any later & then who's suffering ~~ the kids are.

I really think the short-fall is coming from the "NEW" Middle School that was built. The funding from the state was for a "2 floor" & not for a "3" floor, which was done without "permission" and caused the state not to generate the total share they had promised to the District. At that time, Austintown only had the money to BUILD IT and not to furnish it. It is amazing what you can learn at Board meetings of how ALL Board MEMBERS act like "the cat got their tongues" & this will NEVER BE TOLD!! This Superintendant Heuer has really made a MESS of a fine school district. Makes you wonder why HE "commutes" from Columbus & does not even LIVE HERE~~ no one else wanted him. Keep in mind, when Heauer was hired~~ he was suppose to MOVE here within a year~~ according to my clock ~~ it has been far more a year & still has not moved!!
~ I strongly agree~~ VOTE NO for 4.9 mill levey!!!
~and VOTE YES for a new school board!!

~~ And~~ what about the MONEY being saved in closing Davis Elementary?? Where's the money going??

The money saving Davis went to the 1% retroactive to Aug 2007 raise they gave Heuer at the last board meeting.

There was also 2-3 million left over from the building of the school that went to the turf and stadium construction.

Vote No, until someone with fiscal responsibility is sitting on the board.

I am tired of every "cost cutting" measure being at the expense of the children and then they give our worthless superintendent a raise WTF?!?

I am flying a bit blind on this 4 day school week. But could it not be explored??? Making sure our kids do not spend 9 or 10 hours per day. I agree that would be to long. It just somehow makes since to find ways to cut cost,,but no they want to dig deeper into our pockets.

I also agree with the pay raise issue. He has not earned it.

The new school, that was a railroad job all the way. Did we need a new one- YES. How it was done with the building levy, then no operations money.....get real,,,we got the stick and balls on this one. What happened to the sale of the old school???? Looks like a used car lot now.

I do think we need some real leaders. I moved to Austintown 12 years ago. I picked Austintown for the schools and home life. One son finished this year and second son in two more years. I have noticed a slow decline with the school system in these years.

But I still have to vote "NO" on any new levy. I, a middle class earner,, feel for the retired, older people, fixed income. We are all digging deeper these days. ALL paid staff that work at the school need to pay more in med, retirement, ect themselves.

My 02 cents.

It's time for layoffs and concessions folks, because this town is taxed enough. You want money for rising utilities? Why not cut one thing to pay another (it's called budgeting) and that's what we folks of A-town are doing in these tough times, and it's what the school system should do. Why not eliminate sports (football) you haven't provided the town with a winner in years.

The sale of the school was scratched when the buyer had soil tested & it was contaminated & also the building has asbestos & would have been too costly to confine it when torn down. Speaking of asbestos ~~ on the school website Public Notice Page 7-24-08, there is this notice posted~~"Asbestos containing materials are present in the following buildings; Watson, Lynn-Kirk, Woodside, Lloyd, & Fitch." This had to be posted as required by the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act.

~Yes, we need leaders who do not act like "cat got their tongue" at Board Meetings. They ALL act like they are scared to speak out against anything. They NEVER answer any questions with a definite answer ~~ usually it's said "we will find out & let you know" ~~ but NEVER do let you know!! There are issues from last school year that questions have yet to be answered. Some of them are concerns of what we are talking about now! It is very frustrating to see what this school board has become! When school starts~~ our kids will come home with messages & some will be threatening saying if the mill levy does not pass, this is gonna take place etc. ~~ instead of teaching the subjects~~ the levy WILL BECOME the SUBJECT in ALL CLASSES~~ this went on with the teachers & their raises!!

~~Part of the districts losing money is we are getting less funding by the state per student count because
1. more home schooling is being done 2. Kids are going to North Jackson & Mineral Ridge schools because the quality of education is not here like it was!! Maybe Supt. Heuer & the Board NEED to open their EYES & EARS & ask WHY are so many students opting out Austintown School District! I have 2 graduated -05 & 08 and one more left to finish.

~~If a 4 day school week could be worked out without the kids living at school ~~ I would be for it!

~~It was said that the "TURF" was donated~~

~~We had to ADJUST our BUDGET accordingly & cannot possibly give any more $$ . We will have to vote NO on any new levy also, but STILL say VOTE YES for NEW SCHOOL BOARD & SUPT. !!

I currently reside in and am a teacher in a large school district near Atlanta. You all should feel fortunate the school board has to ask you for permission to raise your taxes. Where I live, if the board wants more money, they raise your taxes. No questions asked. With that said, they have only done that one time in the 8 years I have lived here. Our NON-UNION school district is fiscally responsible and our wages are significantly higher than those in Youngstown. Many of you complain that you cannot afford another tax levy. Can you then afford for your property values to go down when your schools become subpar? Lets face it, schools drive property values. No one wants to live where the schools are lack-luster. As for the one person who said teachers should take a pay cut - Are you serious? Teachers in Austintown already have a less-than-desireable salary and now you want them to make even less? Get real. Do I think that the responsibilty of funding schools should depend mainly on property taxes? No. But that is how Ohio works. Maybe you should start calling and emailing your congressmen to look at other states to see how their schools are funded. Layoffs are not the answer as they only provide temporary relief. You need a permanent solution.

NO aztek519 ~~
~~ A permananent solution would be to "oust" the WHOLE School Board ALONG with the Superintendent!
~~~ Had the money been used appropriately to begin with ~~ we would not be having this discussion today!!
~~~ when it comes to more money it has ALWAYS been used FIRST to make fatter paychecks, then there is not enough "left" to do for what it WAS ear-marked for!
~ people are sick of the money FIRST going to fatter PAYCHECKS!
~~ That's the ALL AMERICAN WAY~~ make less/ work harder... my husband does & to top that off he puts in 11-12 hour days!!

Im sure a teacher in Austintown would gladly take these fatter paychecks that you speak of. And as for 11-12 hour days, teachers also work that long - sometimes longer. Yes, they may only be contracted for 8 hours a day, but a teacher's job never ends with the last bell. For as much education and time teacher's put in, they are not paid what they are worth in Youngstown. And before you start in on "they have summers off" I urge to see how many teachers do other things in the summer for extra money. Maybe then you will see that their paychecks aren't so fat. Is the board and superintendant to blame for the district's problems? Probably, but who always up taking the brunt of their problems? Teachers. They lose their jobs, get benefits cut, larger class sizes, go with little or no raises year after year, and get little or no respect from the community.

~ THEY already HAVE!!
~ like I said THE ALL AMERICAN WAY ~~
~ my husbands' job also NEVER ends when he punches that time clock ~~ on call & EVEN does side jobs on his one & only day off~~ so-o-o ~~
~~never MENTIONED SUMMER OFF ~~ thanks for reminding me ~~ he doesn't see time OFF at ALL!!
What MAKES YOU any different~~ REALITY HERE!!

I am sorry that your husband works at a job where he works 365 days a year with absolutlely no vacation time at all. However, I would venture to say that if you looked at a teacher's paycheck, you would see that they are anything but fat. This is obviously a very touchy subject with you, but I don't understand how you can elect to live in a community and not be supportive of its teachers. When the tax levy fails and cuts are made, you will be the first one to complain that the schools are becoming crappy. Then you will try to sell your house, which wont happen because the schools are bad. The community in which I live has overwhelming support for its schools to the point that any tax issue is easily passed, typically 3 to 1. To me, THAT is the American way. Supporting your schools. You reap what you sew.

aztek519 - I don't believe you. There is not a school district in Ohio that passes new school levies with a 75% majority. Teachers with 15 years and a masters as required make $70 a year for working 180 days a year with summers off to work elsewhere if they like while off. I call that good pay & benefits for someone around 40. better then 90% of the folks in Mahoning County. By the way, the schools are already crappy so more of my money won't change that, just make the teachers more overpaid. I am still voting NO NO NO on school levies.

aztek519
~ I do not blog for sympathy~~
~~ Just trying for YOU to see the real world called REALITY for what IT IS!
~~ So-o-o YOU ARE SEEING that not EVERYONE "gets those perks" after all~~huh? (no vac. time)& how GOOD YOU really have it!
~~At this school system ~~teachers are contracted 7 -8 hours, HOWEVER~~ THEY are not teaching those full hours~~ AN average of 4-5 hours ONLY~~ so whats the complaining about~~ my husband does not have that kind of "perk" in his job~~ HE WORKS EVERY MINUTE-HOUR-SECOND THAT IS ON HIS TIME CLOCK
~~~ I ALWAYS HAVE been SUPPORTIVE of TEACHERS ~~ BUT "when YOU start SEEING & HEARING" that THEIR "PRIORITY" is all about them & just do NOT give a hoot of the well-being of the SCHOOL DISTRICT they are teaching for ~~ how can YOU want OUR support when ALL YOU see is $$$$$ & YOU DO NOT SUPPORT the school system YOU ARE teaching in!
~~"quit" going after more $$~~ put ALL the $$ to use for the school system & for the main ingrediant ~~ the kids well being.
~~maybe ALL OF YOU should START SEEING things from the point of "its NOT all about me
~~ in regards to property value ~~ maybe the teachers SHOULD have to live in the SCHOOL district they teach~~ most here DO NOT~~ THEY would then LOOK at things differently & say wait a minute ~~ this will affect my property also ~~ so-o-o its time I start thinking about the school district more than ALWAYS ABOUT ME $$$!
~~NO-O-0 you see ~~ you do not have to SELL & MOVE ~~ You START enrolling YOUR CHILD IN NORTH JACKSON OR MINERAL RIDGE school system where THOSE TEACHERS give their RESPECT/SUPPORT to their school district, students, & its citizens FIRST!!
~~Give a little respect/support & then YOU get back twice-fold!

~~ become crappy ~~ honey~ they are already there~~ quality of education is not here like in the past~~ Wanna KNOW WHY?
It's because there are SOME TEACHERS that WANT THAT FAT $$$ PAYCHECK & have become PAPER LADIES ( you know, SIT & be referee) while the students do this one & that one ~~ the SILENT teaching method & DO NOT TEACH "VERBALLY"
~~ In fact, I tend to BELIEVE ~~ you are within this school district & IF not ~~ u need to come this end ~~ U WOULD FIT RIGHT IN!
~~ YOU say that any of your tax issues are "PASSED" in the above post u wrote ^^^ ~~ UH~~ earlier YOU WROTE that it is not VOTED ON & that it is just put on by the Board!
~~TALKING from BOTH ENDS of your mouth
~~ YOU CERTAINLY REAP WHAT YOU SEW ~~ YOU STILL THINK YOU ARE ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE WITH YOUR JOB $$$$$~~

The turf was not paid for by donations.

We do not vote on tax levies for our millage rate. That is set and changed by the board. We do, however, vote on a penny sales tax that is used to build and renovate schools and provide new technology for schools. Those are the taxes that pass with no problem. I should have been more clear about that. I am not talking from both ends. You are correct when you say that teachers probably only teach about 4-5 hours a day. However, the time spent not teaching is spent in meetings, contacting parents, grading papers, preparing lessons, and making copies. Not sitting around. Now, Im sure that there are teachers that do just sit around, but many teachers are being productive during that time. As for fat paychecks, no one goes into the teaching profession for the money, believe me. I have a master's degree and make $40000 less than my sister who works in the corporate sector with a bachelor's. Do I make bad money? No. Could I make more money if I worked in corporate America? Possibly. I enjoy what I do and I am good at it. However, I do not think that I am better than everyone. As for enrolling in another district, if you read lately, NJ is also looking to put a tax levy on the ballot. No district is without its faults. You trade one set of problems for another. However, before you pass judgement on the schools, perhaps go visit a school in the fall and see what all is going on in the classrooms. You may see exactly what you are talking about. However, you may also see exactly the opposite.

What Peace2U siad is the same way I felt,I graduatued from Fitch in 2007 and Our last Superintnedent Who shares the same name as one of our Elementary school,Watson was well liked by all. Back then we had no money problems like we do now and the way we spend money is like a thundersrtom in the summer,it all comes at once. there is another thing I don't like when you make a cmpus like they now have with a Middle school<lemenatary school and the High school something like Virgina Tech could happen,some peope out there are jsut evil like that and now they have more targets. let's hope it never happens but if it does we would figure out why quickly.

Austintown has had money problems since I was there in the 80's and 90's. You may not have noticed the money problems when you were in school because there was a levy in place. On another note, campuses are more efficient for schools to operate with. If you notice, many smaller districts are going to 1 k-12 building. Schools are not like a college campus. Most of the time, the only doors that are unlocked after arrival times are those by the front office. When I was at Fitch, you could come and go as you please through any door. Last time I was there to visit with a former teacher, I was limited to 1 set of doors directly in front of the main office.

There have been money problems, yes, but what is happening now is just a mess. A school was closed and all those kids were transferred into other schools - where those schools had to eliminate computer labs, libraries, art and music classrooms to make room - and yet our Superintendent gets a raise!
We built a new school that does not have enough room to house all the kids.

They are building a bus garage in the campus - but have no place to build a Super Elementary school in the campus that is big enough. The only land that is big enough is the old AMS land - where do you think the elementary kids are going to go?

The teachers contract that was being disputed would have given administrators the ability to schedule classes in an effort to give all kids who wanted to take those classes a chance - they would add extra classes for those that had high demands - but the teachers in the HS did not want to give up their extra planning period - it had the potential to save the district 1.5 million. Instead of conceding that point, the teachers refused to budge. So the admin closed a school.

Nothing that is done in this district is done for the kids - every cut has come at a cost to them. There are so many self serving agendas within this district is disgusting - from the teachers union to the OAPSE to the admin to the BOE. Its time for some new people to get this district running right.

Yeah they have more money to waste then theyThey got 50 more secuirty cameras and Cocoa Cola siad it was all by a donaion of $88,000 . Well were are all thsoe camera going,into the middle school becuase Fitch already has a lot of thm and the next place to put tem would be i Nthe bATHROOMS.

They are going on the buses since now the 4-5th graders ride with the high school kids.

Thats' not a good idea at all. We all know the bg kids pick on the little kids and that it s ahrd to watch everyone o a bus all the time. I wonder where theior brains are? Even with those cameras there will be problmes.

Once again~~ ALL of the BOARD & COLLEEN MURPHY (HEAD OF TRANSPORTATION REALLY need to open their EYES & EARS~~
concerning the 4/5th graders BUSING "w/ high schoolers" ~~quit SITTING ON & "START USING" THY BRAIN!!
They "think" by assigning a SENIOR on each bus to watch over the 4/5 graders EVERYTHING will be OK ~~ according to COLLEEN = "her GRANDSON is EVEN going to be riding with the high schoolers ~~ "IT WILL BE JUST PEACHY" SAYS COLLEEN!!
~~ you ARE all IN FOR A rude AWAKENING!!
~~most OF THE trouble ACTUALLY starts while "WAITING" FOR THE BUS~~ THE SWEARING - BULLYING - SMOKING NICOTINE = PLUS THE ADDITIVE & THE PLANNING OF SKIPPING SCHOOL ONCE AT SCHOOL ~~ my 2 kids that graduated WERE FORCED (not that they minded) to drive so-o-o they DID NOT HAVE TO TOLERATE ALL THE CRAP @ THE BUS STOP & ON the bus! We as the parents did not want the driving on the agenda so soon BUT did not want our kids to be subjected to that behavior & so it was better that THEY DROVE THEMSELVES TO AVOID ALL THE CRAP HAPPENING THEN.
~~ THE PARENTS of the 5/6 graders WILL NOW NEED to PATROL their childs bus-stop ~~ doesn't that sound EXCITING!! COLLEN MURPHY & THE BOARD THINKS SO!!
~~one thing thou~~ 4/5 graders will NOT BE ABLE TO ESCAPE THE CRAP~~ it's a little to soon for them to try & drive themselves THEY WILL HAVE TO "TOLERATE" THE
1. swearing
2. bullying
3. smoking plus more additive
4. fighting
5. unfortunately the google eyeing- kissing etc. among some of the older ~~ face it ~~ you are dealing with small adults w/ hormones.
6. etc. > i am sure there are more things happening that WE ARE NOT AWARE OF.
Dearest Colleen ~~ I hope your grandchild is exposed to this on the VERY FIRST BUS TRIP & WE WILL SEE HOW "PEACHY" THIS SMART IDEA REALLY WAS!!

PARENTS OF 4/5TH GRADERS == "You ALL NEED TO TAKE a STAND ON THIS & DO NOT LET THIS HAPPEN~~ other school districts protested when something was BEING tried WRONGFULLY with their busing ~~ & then it did not happen!!
** I certainly hope that you all are not planning to be transporting kid(s)to & from school ~~ this is what OUR GREAT SCHOOL BOARD & COLLEEN WANT!! We are ALL law-abiding citizens who PAY Taxes that provide these services for our children!! DO NOT LET ANYONE TAKE THIS AWAY!!
PS+ with just the high schoolers on a bus ~~ they were pretty packed = 3-4 to a seat~~~ so-o-o how in the world are they going to ADD 4/5th graders~~ pack them in like SARDINES just like they have at "OUR SARDINE MIDDLE SCHOOL!! SAFETY really concerns me & is a ISSUE!!

LATEST~~FITCH has the cameras but are YOU aware that just a FEW actually WORK!!

Yeah most of the are dummies that are not even hooked up and Collen is someone who feels she is right no matter what anyone says and that is just plain stupid and selfish too of her. I go to MCCTC now but they had a snowday and Austintown sent one bus at 2p.m. without telling us so I missed the bus and my parents ahd to pick me up. Collen told my mom it is not her problem! Hmm,sounds like it is since she is jhead of trnasportation and she was the one who made the decison to sned one bus early.

"SNUCK" IN the NEW MATH & "Trying" to IMPLEMENT a UNSAFE ENVIRONMENT for "OUR" 4/5th grade KIDS!
~ Maybe some "new math" directed at the SCHOOL BOARD,
SUPT. HEUER. & COLLEEN MURPHY;
DO REALLY THINK THE 4.9 MILL LEVY IS GOING TO PASS?
* SHOW YOUR ANSWER IN "3" DIFFERENT WAYS!
** ALSO, "HOW DO YOU KNOW?

knwoing that we only voted for one in 10 years and all the others were voted down I am tihnk it will be no. They show us no reaosn other then they ant more to wasste that they need the money,and where is it all goig,to the studnet's education? I think not.

Be patient, I am going to respond to multiple users at one time. First, the jackhole that said why not get rid of sports because Fitch hasn't given the community a winner in a long time. Keep in mind that this is HIGH SCHOOL!! Sometimes, its not always about wins and losses! While we're at it, why don't we get rid of all extracurriculars, I am sure that borderline kids would make great decisions with all that extra time!
Next, to the best of my knowledge, I think that there has been no new money into the ALSD since 1997! Is it just me, or have the costs to do EVERYTHING gone up largely since that time? Granted, there has been mismanagement in the past with finances, and current administration are NOT from the A-town community.
Those damn greedy teachers! If simply going on the posts from this board, it seems that anyone with a logical brain would dream as a young kid to become a teacher. Forget professional athlete, or president, why would you not want to do a job where you don't really have to work and make huge sums of money?
As everyone knows, this community has been economically depressed for the better part of 30 years. Now, there are many factors that have continued to cause this, but a phrase that sums it up best is "ignorance is bliss". It seems that some on this board are not anti-teacher, they are anti-education. Most likely, they did not have a very good school experience and blame their former teachers. In what other profession besides teaching no matter what are that you live in could you have 15 years of experience and a masters degree and make only 70K? Lawn mowers and snow plowers make more per year, but those darn greedy lazy teachers.
I agree with the poster who said it is the duty of the citizens to financially support schools, in our current backwards way of funding. For all of those people that voted for Strickland, one of his paramount issues was educational finance reform. How is that coming Teddy-boy? He is too busy preparing a potential presidential run in 2012 to care IMHO.
Finally, for all of those who are having economic difficulties, I feel for you, and am with you! If you are concerned with higher taxes, be sure to vote for Barack. With the democrat triumvirate controlling things, it will be nice to see the HUGE swell in our taxes to pay for all the deadbeats who are too lazy, unmotivated, or blame others for their personal life situations.
But if Barack doesn't win, he can always go back to school, become a teacher, and be rich beyond his wildest dreams!

Well they don'r earn as much you you tihnk. The msot is 80,0000 and that is f they have been a teacher for more then 15 years. Msot earn a lot less ten that a year.

**I WILL NOT GET POLITICAL ON MY BLOG~~ MY VOTING IS PERSONAL~~SORRY
~would someone who's anti-education be on here?
~~maybe that's where the comparison comes in!!
~~the quality education / great teachers WHO VERBALLY TAUGHT
in my years of school to that of NOW ~~ QUALITY IS DEFINITLY GONE!
~~As a matter of fact, we did not have dittos, carbon copies of papers thrown at us to do, do, & do = (the PAPER LADY TEACHER NOW-A-DAYS)! INSTEAD , you HAD teachers that cared ABOUT each & every student IN THE CLASS because THEY FELT the grade given on the report card was actually theirs & would have been embarassed if ONE CHILD was not doing good. That's another comparison to now-a-days~
~~If it were not for all this to "compare" ~~ then I would say "just go with the flow~~ but cannot ~~ for I KNOW QUALITY EDUCATION
~ now a days ~~ the PARENTS are the teachers & the TEACHERS are the re-inforcers~