Career Technology Center pushing to pass school levy

Levy for Miami Valley Career Technology Center on Nov. 8 ballot.

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By Marc Katz, Staff Writer 11:19 AM Friday, October 21, 2011

ENGLEWOOD — It is a small, but important school levy, and it touches a wide swath of students in the Miami Valley.

On Nov. 8, voters in five main counties — and parts of three others — will be asked to affirm a 2.18 mills replacement levy for the Miami Valley Career Technology Center.

The MVCTC levy is for 10 years.

“We’re so low in millage and so low in dollar amount (about $1 a month for a $100,000 home),” Superintendent John Boggess said. “We don’t present anything seen as competition to the local schools.

“But if we didn’t have the replacement levy, it would be devastating.”

The MVCTC draws students from 27 school districts, mainly in Montgomery, Miami, Preble, Warren and Darke counties, but also parts of Champaign, Shelby and Auglaize.

The levy, which will bring in between $1.1 to $1.2 million a year, represents about a third of the MVCTC budget. About 66 percent of the tax base comes from Montgomery County.

The school has classes for juniors and seniors in high school, as well as adult classes.

Passage of the levy will allow the school to keep 50 high school programs, update equipment, expand programs and keep enough teachers and textbooks on hand to continue present operations.

Without the levy, a process of more cuts would have to be made, and Boggess said, “We’ve already reduced $3.7 million and 30 positions. It’s probably a reflection of the times, and the state funding issues. It has forced all (school) districts to ask (for levies).

“Even with this levy, we’ll just about break even, or be just below what we need.”

Boggess said if the levy fails, the school would be on the ballot again in the spring, “but we try not to think about that,” he said.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2157 or mkatz@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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