Busing, Teachers on the Cutting Block After Proposed $1 Million in Cuts

Elementary school positions, consumer science program will be eliminated.

Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dan Keenan laid out a tentative plan for $1 million in cuts following the school levy loss last Tuesday. “We’re doing this because we can’t count on money coming in in January; we’re at the end of the levy cycle,” Keenan said. With no new money coming in, the district, at current expenditures, would be $2.9 million in the red by the 2014-15 school year. The cuts, announced at the May 13 school board meeting, will go into effect for the 2013-14 school year. Cuts include: Keenan said other cuts and reductions are probable. “This follows the $4.2 million in cuts we made in 2010,” Keenan said. At that time, operations were heavily cut. Now, the district is reversing the cuts to 85 percent personnel and 15 percent …

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Westlake is Talking About the School Levy Failure, Are You?

More than 35 comments were posted supporting and opposing the levy. It's not to late to weigh in.

Porter Library Seeking Approval of 2.8-Mill Renewal Levy

Item on the primary ballot would pay $85.75 annually for library operations.

Westlake’s Porter Public Library voters is asking for support to approve a five-year, 2.8-mill renewal levy on May. 7. The levy will be used for funding operations at the library. If approved, the levy would generate $3.82 million per year to help support the library’s $4.7 million annual budget. The current levy, approved in 2008, expires at the end of 2013. That levy earned a 57.6 approval from voters. Homeowners would pay $85.75 annually. Library officials said they did not want to see an increase in the levy this year. The heavily used library saw more than half a million visitors last year.

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Westlake School Officials to Discuss Upcoming Levy

The 5-mill operating levy will come before voters on May 7.

Want to learn more about the Westlake City Schools proposed 5-mill operating levy? Next month, Citizens for Westlake Schools will hold its second public meeting on the levy, which will come before voters on May 7.  Superintendent Dan Keenan is set to make a presentation, followed by a Q & A session. The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. on April 11 in Westlake Porter Public Library.

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School Officials, Public Set to Discuss Upcoming Levy

The Citizens for Westlake Schools will hold two informational sessions to inform the community about the Westlake City Schools 5-mill levy on the May 7 ballot.

5.9-Mill Schools Levy Will be on the May Ballot

The board voted to put the levy on the ballot during its meeting on Monday.

On Monday, the Westlake Board of Education voted to put a 5.9-mill operating levy on the May 7 ballot.  The last operating levy passed in Westlake in 2006, according to a press release from the district. The board decided to move forward with the levy after reaching a new contract agreement with the teachers union.  The new agreement includes a pay cut during the time of the 18-month contract, along with increased health care costs for teachers. Read more about the new contract here. The agreement is expected to save the district more than $5 million, according to the release.  For more:

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School Board Could Put Levy on May Ballot

The decision is not final, and further discussion will take place on Monday.

The Westlake Board of Education has given the treasurer the go-ahead to see how much money a 5.9-mill levy would generate, said board President Tom Mays. That move is actually the first step to putting a levy on the May 2013 ballot. The board will discuss whether to put that levy on the May 7 ballot during its next meeting on Monday, Mays said. If they decide to do that, the board would vote to submit the proper paperwork to the county Board of Elections, and everything must be filed by Feb. 6.  This discussion first came up in mid-January. At the time, the board did plan to put a levy before voters in 2013, but members were still undecided if the levy should go on the May or November ballots.

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Kim Bonvissuto

12:58 pm on Thursday, April 4, 2013

State funding has been cut by over $4.2 million in the last two years and by over $10 million since the last operating levy.To address those reductions, the schools cut 17 staff positions and reduced programming and transportation. Issue 16 will not replace what has already been lost. Rather the additional 5.9 mil levy will allow the district to maintain the programming already in place and allow…   more ›

Westlake City Schools Will Not Seek 2012 Levy

District will wait until 2013 for levy issue.

Despite $4.1 million in state funding cuts over the next two years, Westlake City Schools will not be seeking a levy until 2013. The district was considering a levy in 2012 after news of the new state budget came out, but thanks to cuts and collaborations, Superintendent Dr. Dan Keenan said the school system will be able wait another year before going to voters. The administration and school board approved several cost-saving measures this spring to deal with the reduction in funding, which included eliminating high school busing, cutting 37 positions and introducing tuition-based all-day kindergarten.  “We promised to make it last four to five years, so our aim was 2010 or 2011,” said Superintendent Dan Keenan. The district’s last levy …

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Robert Bodi

10:34 am on Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Hi, Audrey! I have to take issue with your implication that the Tea Party is somehow full of uneducated individuals. That is insulting to them. I fully sympathize with a movement that was founded on the principle that the government must stop spending money that it doesn't have. If you think that is an uneducated position, then I just have to disagree. If you think that spending beyond our means …   more ›

Police and Fire Levy Renewal Will Be on November Ballot

The five-year levy will generate over $1 million for safety operations.

Westlake residents will see a renewal levy to generate funds for police and fire services on the Nov. 8 general election ballot. The five-year levy will generate over $1 million annually for police and fire operations, including salaries. “It does provide salary for our police and fire,” said Council President Michael Killeen. “It would create a number of issues if this didn’t pass.” Killeen stressed that this levy is a renewal, not a tax increase. Voters have cast their ballots in favor of the levy since 1966. The issue will need a majority vote to go into effect. “It’s important to maintain our level of service in police and fire,” said Mayor Dennis Clough. “I would recommend that voters consider its renewal.”

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Westlake Board of Education Splinters Amid Tough Budget Decisions

Administrators discuss tuition for all-day kindergarten and concessions from teachers' unions and a possible levy.

After seven hours of deliberation, discussion and argument, Monday’s Board of Education meeting was, at best, a non-starter as school officials couldn’t agree on much of anything.  In front of a capacity crowd of more than 300 parents, teachers and residents in Westlake High School’s cafeteria, board members splintered on two of Superintendent Dan Keenan’s  proposals to help absorb $3.6 million in proposed state cuts for the upcoming school year.  The first proposal dealt with entering into negotiations with Westlake’s two teacher unions—OAPSE and the WTA— to either lay off or reduce pay for 68 Westlake City Schools employees. The move is projected to save about $2.7 million.  “The unions came to me and said ‘How can we help?’ which isn’t …

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