Summit County School Levies Triumph in Springfield, Manchester, and Mogadore

The narrative has been revised to fix incorrect details.

Here’s an overview of how the school districts based in Summit County and nearby districts that include parts of the county performed at the polls on May 6, according to final, unofficial results from the Summit County Board of Elections:

The Springfield Local Schools levy passes convincingly.

With over two-thirds majority votes on each measure, the Springfield school district successfully approved two urgent funding proposals. The renewal of levy 16 will impose an additional 2.74 mills for five years, generating $84 for every $100,000 of property value. Meanwhile, levy 17 will reinstate a 7-mill tax, yielding $113 from every $100,000 of assessed valuation.

The Springfield Superintendent, Shelley Monachino, stated that the district felt "deeply thankful for the community’s backing in approving both levy renewals."

By approving these levies, we can sustain our present staff numbers, educational programs, student resources, and after-school activities," Monachino stated. "Approving these levies will enable us to look ahead and keep working towards supporting each student every single day.

In the November 2024 election, the Springfield school district had three levy renewals on the ballot ; voters endorsed just one of them.

Voters in the Twinsburg City School district overwhelmingly rejected the bond issue.

Approximately sixty-seven percent of voters in the Twinsburg school district rejected Issue 11, which was a bond proposal requesting an additional 3.84 mills. This would have cost homeowners $135 per year for every $100,000 of their property’s assessed value over a span of thirty-six years.

The Nordonia Hills levy seems to barely pass.

In Issue 10 within the Nordonia Hills district located in northern Summit County, they aimed to secure 5 mills ($175 yearly for every $100,000 of assessed property valuation over a span of five years). Based on provisional outcomes provided by the Summit County Board of Elections, this proposal barely succeeded with 4,665 votes in favor versus 4,585 opposed. Should an influx of absentee ballots received after being posted by the May 5th deadline substantially reduce the present gap of 80 votes and cause the discrepancy to drop under half of one percent of total votes counted concerning this matter, then a recount would be necessary.

This marked the district's third try at getting approval for an extra funding levy.

The referendum from yesterday was determined by merely 80 votes," stated Casey Wright, the superintendent of Nordonia Hills schools. "This figure underscores the significance of each vote cast and demonstrates the deep engagement of our community with its educational institutions. Your backing enables us to prevent additional reductions and sustain the academic offerings, services, and extra-curricular activities that positively impact our students' experiences. This level of trust does not go unheeded; we recognize the importance of accountability. Therefore, we pledge to manage every cent responsibly and maintain complete transparency in our financial dealings.

Recently, Nordonia Hills has made the decision to reduce their workforce by 45 staff members starting from the 2025-26 academic year. This number exceeds The suggested reduction of 39½ proposes earlier this year.

The majority of these reductions, approved by the school board on April 22, resulted from an optional severance package taken up by 30 employees, as mentioned by Wright. An additional 15 positions were eliminated through layoffs.

These cuts will lead to significant financial savings and a more sustainable staffing setup,” Wright said in an address to district families. “However, in certain instances, especially concerning classified positions that assist students with special needs, we anticipate bringing back personnel to fulfill the legal and educational mandates specified in Individualized Education Plans.”

At its April 22 meeting, the school board agreed to cut 12 non-certified roles, according to Wright. Furthermore, three certified teaching spots had been axed during a prior session.

The Manchester Local School District can rejoice over a dual victory.

Like Springfield, the Manchester school district had two issues on the ballot — and both gained the support of nearly two-thirds of voters. Issue 13 will collect 0.81 mill ($25 annually for each $100,000 of appraised property value for five years) and Issue 14 will collect 8.5 mills ($152 annually for each $100,000 of appraised value for five years).

Mogadore secures a win with the levy on record.

The voters in the Mogadore Local district, spanning both Summit and Portage counties, demonstrated their support for the village’s educational system by approving Issue 15 with almost two-thirds of the votes. This measure will impose an additional tax rate of 5.93 mills, amounting to approximately $208 per year for every $100,000 of property appraisal over a span of six years.

"The Mogadore Local School District is deeply grateful for the overwhelming support shown by our community in passing the emergency levy," said John Knapp, the Mogadore schools superintendent. "Passage of the emergency levy supports the opportunity to work towards exiting state fiscal oversight. The district will continue to carefully manage resources, look for efficiencies/savings, and align/refine business practices as recommended by the Auditor of State."

Voters in the fall 2024 general election defeated a 5.9-mill levy that would have collected $743,000 a year for five years.

Aurora levy approved by voters; Highland proposal does not pass

Only a small fraction of Summit County voters reside within the Aurora school district, based in Portage County, where Issue 9 was approved with support from about two-thirds of the votes cast.

The Highland school district, based in Medina County and extending into portions of western Summit County, had its ballot prospects thwarted as roughly 57% of voters opposed Issue 12.

The article initially appeared in the Akron Beacon Journal. In Summit County, school funding measures achieve victories in Springfield, Manchester, and Mogadore.