Shaker School Levy Voting Results

SHAKER HEIGHTS, OH - The unofficial results on the Shaker Heights School levy are in and the community appears to have voted to pass the levy. The Cuyahoga County Board of Election says the levy received 2,782 votes, worth 67.57 percent of the vote. The results are still unofficial, as the BOE works to verify the votes.

The levy would add "1.25 mills for each one dollar of tax valuation, which amounts to 12.5 cents for each one hundred dollars of tax valuation." The levy is expected to raise $30 million in funding for the district.

Shaker Schools has said the new funds would be used to revamp and rebuild several district school buildings. In Dec. 2016, Patch reported that the Board said the funds are needed to repair eight school buildings. Namely, the district needs to update IT infrastructure and replace aging heating equipment.

In mid-April, the Shaker Schools issued an explainer on how Ohio's public schools receive funding. The district noted that more than half of all statewide funding comes from local communities.

In-person voting on May 2 will be held from 6:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. The Board of Elections has an online tool that will help you locate your polling location. You can use that tool by clicking here.

The ballot on Tuesday will read:

(1) Issue bonds for the purpose of constructing, adding to, renovating, remodeling, furnishing, equipping and otherwise improving School District buildings and facilities and acquiring, improving and equipping sites for such buildings and facilities in the principal amount of $30,000,000, to be repaid annually over a maximum period of 20 years, and levy a property tax outside the ten-mill limitation, estimated by the County Fiscal Officer to average over the bond repayment period 2.5 mills for each one dollar of tax valuation, which amounts to 25 cents for each one hundred dollars of tax valuation, to pay the annual debt charges on the bonds, and to pay debt charges on any notes issued in anticipation of the bonds?

(2) Levy an additional property tax to provide funds for the acquisition, construction, enlargement, renovation, and financing of general permanent improvements at a rate not exceeding 1.25 mills for each one dollar of tax valuation, which amounts to 12.5 cents for each one hundred dollars of tax valuation, for a continuing period of time?

Turnout for May primary elections has been tumbling since 2011. In May 2011 about 30 percent of the eligible electorate turned out for their respective primaries. By 2015 turnout was down to 15 percent. The majority of voters who show up in May are "non-partisan." The largest political party in Cuyahoga County May primaries is the Democratic Party. In May 2015, the Democrats had 47,379 voters turnout versus 17,480 Republicans.

The Board of Elections for Cuyahoga County is currently projecting a 15 percent turnout of eligible voters on May 2, holding steady with 2015's showing. In total, the BoE is expecting 33,000 votes to be cast on a variety of municipal issues.

You can read some of Patch's previous coverage on the levy issue by clicking here.

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