Delaware voters pass school levy

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Voters in the city of Delaware approved a 11.73-mill substitution levy for Delaware City Schools Tuesday.

The levy is a renewal of a 2010 levy and was placed on the ballot over the summer by the Delaware City School Board of Education, which stressed the levy would not increase taxes for city residents. School officials reported the levy generates $9.4 million annually for the district and makes up nearly 27% of the district’s overall property tax collections. The funds are used for day-to-day operations, the district reports.

According to the Delaware County Board of Elections, the levy passed 11,532 votes (59.34%) to 7,902 votes (40.66%).

“We were relieved and grateful to see that the renewal substitute levy had passed,” said Delaware City Schools Superintendent Heidi Kegley said. “These funds are critical to our operations and with the passage, we will be able to maintain our current staff and outstanding programming for our kids.”

Kegley added the levy’s passage not only allows the district to continue to operations, but also allows it to look ahead.

“The passage of this levy allows our district to maintain current staff and quality programming for our students,” she said. “It will also allow our district to plan for future years knowing these funds will continue to be available to us.”

Kegley said the district is thankful once again for the community’s support.

“We are so fortunate to be part of a community that truly values education,” she said. “We will continue to work hard on behalf of our taxpayers to utilize these dollars in the most responsible way possible to provide excellent educational experiences for our students. The confidence, trust, and partnerships of the Delaware community are critical to our success.”

Kegley added the district is also thankful to the volunteers who ran the campaign.

“We want to thank our volunteers and staff for helping to educate our community about this levy request and its importance to our operations,” she said.

The levy will begin collection next year. The district reports that with state paid homestead and rollback exemptions taken into account, the levy’s cost per $100,000 of home valuation is $359 per year.

A sign in front of Woodward Elementary School Wednesday morning thanks Delaware voters for passing the 11.73-mill substitution levy on Election Day. The levy generates $9.4 million annually for the district and funds day-to-day operations in the district.
https://www.delgazette.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2020/11/web1_IMG_07381.jpgA sign in front of Woodward Elementary School Wednesday morning thanks Delaware voters for passing the 11.73-mill substitution levy on Election Day. The levy generates $9.4 million annually for the district and funds day-to-day operations in the district. Jennifer Ruhe | Delaware City Schools

By Glenn Battishill

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Glenn Battishill can be reached at 740-413-0903 or on Twitter @BattishillDG.

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