Strongsville School Levy: Focus Groups Planned

STRONGSVILLE, OH — The Strongsville City Schools will be holding three community focus group sessions to understand why the district's levy failed this month. School system leaders have already said they will try to pass the ballot again because the funding is crucial to the district.

Superintendent Cameron Ryba said this week that he is inviting all members of the Strongsville community to join a focus group on Wednesday, December 5. He is looking to gain feedback on the failure of the district's 7.9-mill levy and how the school system should proceed.

The focus group will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Strongsville Schools Administrative Office, 18199 Cook Avenue. Ryba said the focus groups will provide vital feedback that will inform his December meeting with the Board of Education.

RSVPs are required for the event. If you would like to participate, click here to RSVP by November 26.

On November 6, voters soundly rejected the district's 7.9-mill levy, which would have generated about $11.3 million annually for the school district, officials said. The levy would have cost about $276 annually for a resident with a $100,000 home.

Nearly 62 percent of voters said nay to the levy.

"We will seek another opportunity to place this operating levy on the ballot, as these dollars are critical to the future of our District and the opportunities we are able to provide our students. Continued failure of this operating levy will result in cost reduction measures that will negatively affect our District's programs, services, and resources for our students," Ryba said.

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