Readers Sound off on $1 Million in School Cuts
Have an opinion on the proposed cuts? Add them in comments.
School Levy
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Sunday, May 19, 2013
Monday, May 13, 2013
Superintendent: Before Another Levy, We Need to Listen
Board will decide if they should make additional cuts or try for another levy.
Fresh off an apparent levy failure last Tuesday, Westlake Superintendent Dr. Dan Keenan said before the board decides whether to try again to pass a levy in November, district leaders need to listen and reflect on the community’s thoughts. “We won’t put one on in August; that deadline has passed,” Keenan said. “Before we do anything we need to get input and figure out what we need to learn from this vote.” Westlake residents voted 3096 to 3049 against the 5.9-mill continuing levy on May 7. As of Election Day, there were still 44 provisional votes outstanding that had to be counted. That may trigger an automatic recount. “We need to survey the community and understand what we need to do differently,” Keenan said. “It is ‘how we operate’ or…
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Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Westlake Election Guide for May 7, 2013
The candidates, voting information and issues that will affect Westlake on Election Day.
As we look ahead to May 7 primary election, Westlake Patch remains devoted to bringing you the information you need about every race you’ll be casting a vote on. Westlake Ward 2 -- Five-way non-partisan race for one council seat.
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5.9-Mill Schools Levy Will be on the May Ballot
Millage for operating levy is 5.9 mills.
On Monday, the Westlake Board of Education voted to put a 5.9-mill operating levy on the May 7 ballot. If approved, Issue 16 will cost voters approximately $180 per $100,000 home valuation. The last operating levy passed in Westlake in 2006. The Westlake School Board opted 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. Supporters said approval of the levy would maintain current programming, eliminate the need for additional cuts, and would allow the …
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Friday, January 18, 2013
School Board Weighs Levy on May Primary Ballot
Should the district put a levy on the May 7 ballot? Take our poll and tell us what you think.
Now that Westlake City Schools has a new contract with the teachers' union, attention is turning towards school funding. The last operating levy was passed in 2006, said superintendant Dan Keenan. It was originally intended to be for four years. At Wednesday's meeting of the Board of Education where the teachers' contract was approved, board members began talking about a new levy. The board did not decide what the millage rate would be for a levy. Keenan estimated that it would be anywhere between 5.9 and 6.5 mills. According the the Cuyahoga County Auditor's Office, one mill of taxes equals $1 tax per $1,000 of assessed property value. If a levy is to be on the ballot for the May 7 primary election, the district must file with the …
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Michael P, Neylon
11:41 pm on Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The community needs some very specific information about the school budget. I realize that the majority of the funds go to salaries. I believe the public needs to know what the projected operating costs of the school system would be based on minimum State and Federal mandated requirements.. To this we need to add the individual optional programs as line items and how many students are normally … more ›
Vote Marie Novak
8:23 pm on Monday, April 29, 2013
Lori, Thank you for covering the election for Ward 2 Westlake City Council. Westlake Patch is an excellent way for voters to obtain information for the May 7th Primary! Marie Novak more ›