The choice was obvious, said one Trenton resident.
“You have to keep it short, direct,” said Don Manning, a father of three in the school system.
The white and purple sign that reads “Vote yes, keep the edge” includes the Edgewood cougar logo. Administration members said the signs will be delivered Oct. 2.
The district is asking voters to approve a five-year, 6.16-mill substitute levy that is slightly lower than the current levy. If passed, owners of a $100,000 home will pay $193 a year, a lower amount than the current $211 a year from the expiring $6.9-mill levy passed in 2005.
Manning, however, said he was somewhat disappointed with the forum’s heavy turnout of staff members compared to general residents.
“It’s a little disheartening,” he said of the crowd of about 50 people. “My goal is to rally the community, reach out and get those voters.”
Manning signed up to volunteer for the registration, door-to-door, event and phone committees. Booths for those volunteer committees and more were set up in different corners of the cafeteria.
Edgewood administrators took turns speaking during the informal meeting. They stressed early voting and advised attendees to steer away from negative campaigning.
“All I know is if the levy does not pass, there will be more cuts (next year),” said Russ Fussnecker, co-chairman of the levy committee and middle school principal. “Next year we’ll have a half- million dollar deficit, in three years it will be a $4.3 million deficit.”
Lauren Green, levy committee co-chairwoman and president of the Edgewood Teacher’s Association, said if the levy is defeated, the district won’t be seeking the same amount next year.
“Yes, we would go back in February, but then we would be asking for an increase,” said Green, who is also a seventh-grade math teacher.
The next public meeting will be held at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 in the middle school cafeteria.
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