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SEY-2I-2UU4 'l'UE 01:08 PM MAYFIELD BD OF ED FAX N0, 4409957205 -- P. 07 page 6 September 14, 2004 6, Did vve spead auy operatfng funds on the new centrai offlce which could hxve been used for materials, staff and textbooks? No monies from the operating budgat were used to finance the Centra! Oftice. Cost of this new construction is being paid for by the previoLis sale of board-ovsrned properiy in Gates Mills that was unsuitable for school use. By Ohio Revised Code theproceeds from that sale eari oniy be used far buildings. None of thosc monies can be used £or aperation. As you remember, we had to move out of the old administrative building at 784 S.O.M. Center Road when it was deemed unsafe for ofiice use by the 'V'illage and structural engineers. Moving into the new offices will also save the district $5,579 per month, the cost of leasing office spACe at Alpha Park, our current location. 7. 1VVhen citizens tetl us "The schools have plenty of money." How should I respond? Ohio districts are making cuts largely because of the way Ohio tax law works. Generally, Ohia law prevents taxes from gowing as property values go up_ It's called a reduction factQr, and it ste.ms from legislation passed in 1976 (House Bi11920). At that time, inflatiori was a problem, and lawmakers were flooded wifh complaints of over taxation_ The law effectively stopped most property taxes from going up because property values increased. So uuless new tax issues are passed, local revenue for schoois remains virtually stagnant. •Here's ars example: Tf a tax levy, passed in 1995, raised $1 million, it's capped. to raise no more tharx that amount in auy year, for as long as the issue is in efFect. And if that issue is continuing, vviuch all of otus are, that means our revenue cYoes not rise with inflation. According to the auditor's office, the Mayfield sehool district is eollecting on voter- approved levies that total 66.10 mills. But in effect, we're raisiag na more than 28.47 mxlls (effective mUlage) since the taxes levied are capped. Cities have incvnie tax revenue which tend to rise with inflation. Schools revenue is caped which puts them. on the ballot much m,ore often. 8. I3ow do our adxnfuistrative expenditures compare to other Cuyahoga County districts? We are 10th in the county in our per pupil cost for admi-nistrators and we have a lower number of administrators in Mayfield compared to otlier suburban districts. In fact we have the same number of administrators paid out of district.funds as we did in 1998-99. 9. Even though our student enroliment has sr$yed relatively stAble, uur staff numbers have risen - why is that:Y 7f you compare our regular classroorn teaching staff now with 1998-99 there is little difference. Our increases have occurred in staff who work with special education, technology and state mstnndated student intervention.