Vote Yes on Issue #33
As a mother and a former school board member, I endorse and ask you to vote for Issue 33. Recently, I had an opportunity to compare our school district with others in the county. I was saddened to see the effects of our reductions specifically as it relates to curriculum.
While our technology is good, it is still lacking. We need every student to be able to access the internet on their Chromebooks without waiting for bandwidth and wasting precious educational minutes. Levy dollars would help increase bandwidth. The reduction in busing has forced teachers to shorten daily curriculum minutes due to the need of organizing a larger number of student car riders. Levy dollars would bring back busing and increase curriculum time.
Class sizes are larger due to staff reductions. Teaching a large class, at any grade level, makes it difficult to individualize instruction to students who need it. Levy dollars would bring back teachers and reduce class sizes. Varied class offerings, math lab and clubs at the high school have been discontinued or reduced which means fewer opportunities.
Levy dollars would bring these back and allow students to remain competitive with other students across the county and state.
In 18 months, I will no longer have children in our school system but still have an interest in ensuring every child in our community has as many educational opportunities as possible. We cannot accept an "adequate" education. Yes, times are tough. The pandemic has hit many families hard, including my own. However, education is the foundation of a community's success and the key to keeping Louisville as an attractive community to raise a family.
Please join me in voting yes for Issue 33.
CHERYL SHEPHERD, NIMISHILLEN TOWNSHIP
Yes on #33 is an Investment
in our Future
Thank you, Louisville, for being such a great community to grow up in. Whether it was riding my bike all over town - usually to play at Broad Street Park or to snack at the Varsity Isle - or walking the hallways at school, I always felt safe, supported, and encouraged. I can think of numerous caring teachers who lifted me up, including Mrs. Schoner and Mr. Holzer in elementary school, Mr. Hull and Mrs. Wolpert in junior high, and Mr. Smith and Miss Hadden in High School. So many other adults gave their time to mentor me in sports, church, and other youth activities: names like Nub McKimm, Butch Peer, Tom Gulling, Jim Menegay, Dennis Denzer, Tom McAlister, and Rick Crislip.
Thank you, Louisville, for being such a great community to teach in. I once heard Timken High School legend Fred Harold speak about the important privilege and responsibility of being an educator. Over the last 25 years, I have been blessed with the opportunity to positively influence several thousand Leopard 8th graders that have visited my classroom. Though teenagers occasionally slip up, the respectfulness and responsibility that you have instilled in your children at home has made my job as a teacher a pure joy.
For generations, countless young lives have been positively shaped by the overwhelming support that the Louisville community has constantly provided.
Unfortunately, evolving economics at the state and local level has put our district in a severe financial bind. I hope that you will consider voting in support of the emergency levy. While I understand the burden of a tax increase, I hope you will view your yes vote as a valuable and necessary investment into the future of our wonderful community.
ANDREW “MAC” ALJANCIC
Louisville Middle School teacher
Support Louisville Schools
My husband and I moved to Louisville with our three children in 1967. We chose Louisville because of the excellent school system. All three of our children and all seven of our grandchildren graduated from LHS. I presently have two great-grandchildren at LES. Hopefully, they too will graduate from LHS and be equally prepared for their next steps in life.
Issue 33 will be on the ballot in November to enable Louisville to continue to offer an excellent and well-rounded education for all students, but only if it passes. All the children in Louisville should have an opportunity to graduate from an excellent school system. My late husband was an educator and I worked at the Stark County Board of Education for 25 years. I am vividly aware of the importance of preparing the youth of our community to pursue a place in their adult life. I have always supported the school system and will continue my support any time there is a need. I do this to pay back all those who supported my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and to pay it forward to all those families who will have successful Louisville graduates in the future.
URSULA ANTONACCI
Issue 33 will be on the ballot in November to enable Louisville to continue to offer an excellent and well-rounded education for all students, but only if it passes. All the children in Louisville should have an opportunity to graduate from an excellent school system. My late husband was an educator and I worked at the Stark County Board of Education for 25 years. I am vividly aware of the importance of preparing the youth of our community to pursue a place in their adult life. I have always supported the school system and will continue my support any time there is a need. I do this to pay back all those who supported my children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren and to pay it forward to all those families who will have successful Louisville graduates in the future.
URSULA ANTONACCI
Return Busing by Voting Yes on Issue #33
This year as we all waited to see if our schools would reopen due to the pandemic, my family anxiously awaited the beginning of the year packets for the children. My children and I looked forward to seeing who their teachers would be and what the school day would look like for them. One thing that follows the opening packet is the bus postcard with the children’s bus numbers, pick-up and drop-off times. This year that card never came for most of the children in the Louisville City School District. What we received instead were directions for drop-off and pick-up procedures to accommodate the large number of students that would have to be transported to and from school by their parents.
This cut to bussing was not due to the pandemic, but due to the failure of our school levy. So many families, mine included, lost bussing for their children. For many this means childcare bills, long drop-off and pick-up lines, traffic jams in town, and rearranged work schedules. Obviously this affects everyone in our community in one way or another. The amount of time needed to transition all these children to and from school is also taking away valuable instructional time. All the children in Louisville deserve every minute of educational time they can get after being out of school the 4th quarter last school year. Please support our children and vote FOR issue 33 to restore full bussing for our students.
ERIN NEFF
Yes on Issue 33 Supports our Children & Protects
Your Home Values
What did we lose by not passing the Louisville School levy in February?
• 33 Staff were let go which increased class sizes and reduced needed services;
• Busing was cut to the state minimum which created a significant hardship on many families;
• Students have fewer class offerings;
• Pay-to-play fees increased exponentially reducing student participation.
What Will We Lose if the Levy Doesn’t Pass in November?
• Let go more teachers, guidance counselors and staff;
• Eliminate Safety Officers;
• Cut sports and clubs at the Middle School and High School;
• Eliminate Mental Health Services;
• Reduce technology offerings.
What else do we stand to lose?
When levies fail families and quality teachers leave. Communities see increases in the rate of crime, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy. This ultimately impacts your property prices. Research shows that home values in a declining school district drop between 10-20% in the first 2-5 years.
Our district is in the lowest 5% of schools in the state for our expenditures per student. Our district delivers incredible taxpayer value. With the state making more cuts to education, it’s even more critical to support our schools. I implore you to vote YES for Issue 33.
GREG ANDERSON
• 33 Staff were let go which increased class sizes and reduced needed services;
• Busing was cut to the state minimum which created a significant hardship on many families;
• Students have fewer class offerings;
• Pay-to-play fees increased exponentially reducing student participation.
What Will We Lose if the Levy Doesn’t Pass in November?
• Let go more teachers, guidance counselors and staff;
• Eliminate Safety Officers;
• Cut sports and clubs at the Middle School and High School;
• Eliminate Mental Health Services;
• Reduce technology offerings.
What else do we stand to lose?
When levies fail families and quality teachers leave. Communities see increases in the rate of crime, substance abuse, and teen pregnancy. This ultimately impacts your property prices. Research shows that home values in a declining school district drop between 10-20% in the first 2-5 years.
Our district is in the lowest 5% of schools in the state for our expenditures per student. Our district delivers incredible taxpayer value. With the state making more cuts to education, it’s even more critical to support our schools. I implore you to vote YES for Issue 33.
GREG ANDERSON
Vote for the Louisville School Levy
This letter to the editor has been sent to encourage voters in Nimishillen Township and the city of Louisville to vote yes for Issue 33 and Louisville City Schools on Nov. 3.
The 2,800 students of the Louisville district and the community need Issue 33 to pass. Issue 33 is a five-year emergency operating levy designed to restore, protect and enhance the educational operations in the Louisville City Schools.
Passage of this levy will restore programs and services of which children, teachers and parents depend. Without the passage of Issue 33, additional student programs could be cut. In addition, more school bus routes could be sliced.
My wife and I are proud graduates of the Louisville district, as are our three children. Our grandchildren will be fifth-generation Leopards. Louisville residents, please join our family as we support and vote for the students, staff and citizens of the Louisville City Schools.
TOM AND KATHY MCALISTER, LOUISVILLE