NAPOLEON, Ohio — Napoleon Schools haven't had new operating funding approved by voters in 11 years.
Last fall, 64% of voters turned down a proposed 3.9-mill operating levy for Napoleon Area City Schools.
Superintendent Erik Belcher was hopeful the timing last fall was right to approve a new levy as 1.6 mills of a previous bond issue were going to be rolled back off of property owners' taxes in 2024.
"On January 1, our taxpayers saw that 1.6-mills already rolled back on that. So when they got their tax bills this year, that was already figured into that," Belcher said.
Now with the levy back on the March ballot, the district has been working to convince area voters of the importance of this levy, as Napoleon Schools are now operating in a budget deficit.
As a mom of a junior and senior in high school, Erika Damman knows her children will not benefit from this levy if approved, but she still wants it to pass to help set a good foundation for the community's future.
"We have to remember that our schools are a part of all of that equation," Damman said.
Napoleon Area City Schools has not passed a new operating levy since 2013 and if approved, the new funding wouldn't be available until 2025.
"The money previously that we would have brought in starting in 2024 since the levy didn't pass in the fall, so we're losing out on an entire year of levy money," Damman said. "So this money would start in 2025."
With such a tight budget, the superintendent said they might still have to lay off staff or faculty to make ends meet until that point.
"82% of our budget goes to people," Belcher said. "So when we talk about trying to reduce budget, we have to talk about staffing."
For more information on the levy, click HERE.