North Ridgeville schools to see deep cuts without levy

NORTH RIDGEVILLE, Ohio - Sports could become a thing of the past in the North Ridgeville School District if voters fail to approve a 5.9 mill levy.

The Lorain County school district also stands to lose other extra-curriculars, face reductions in transportation and the student day.

"The district has already cut approximately 100 staff members in the last three years which is a 19.4 percent reduction already," said Superintendent Larry Brown. "So these are severe cuts and we're at a point where the time is now for our school district."

The 5.9 mill levy would raise more than $4 million a year for the school district, which is suffering from a loss in state revenue.

"We're actually a growing district that has more students in it than we've had in the past and we're not getting additional revenue from the state because of the growth," Brown said. 

But North Ridgeville parent Alex Priel opposes the levy.

"I simply want the school district to live within a budget just like the rest of us," he said.

The emergency levy will appear on the ballot in November, and if it fails, it will be on again in May. Brown said if a levy is not approved in November or May, the cuts would become effective in the 2013-2014 school year.