A 1% earned income tax levy - that's what St. Marys City Schools are asking the community to approve in November. Superintendent Bill Ruane says that the schools have been running on the same amount of local funding since 2004, but due to increases in costs for things like school safety - the schools are now in deficit spending.
That money from the levy would go towards students educations, and only for costs to benefit students' educations.
"A lot of the electives and classes, the programs and extra-curricular activities are all things that at this district, if we don't have the money and we're asked to make a significant cut to our budget - all those are affected," Ruane said. "The levy would not be going to the football stadium, that's being raised by a private Roughrider Philanthropic Association."
During a recent board of education meeting, it was agreed that many of the people involved with the school system - including teachers and staff - would take a pay freeze in order to add into the 1.2 million dollars that the schools are saving due to cuts and other cost-saving measures this fiscal year. If the levy were to not pass in November, Ruane says that even more cuts could be seen.
"Nobody likes paying taxes, nobody like paying an increase in taxes, but if we don't, then the make up of our school and our community I think will be changed in a way that I don't think a lot of people would want for their kids or our future," Ruane said.
Members of the public are encouraged to contact the school system if they have any questions.
