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Willoughby-Eastlake school district reveals timeline for budget cuts after levy fails to pass

All freshman and middle school sports programs have been eliminated, along with all of the district's field and band trips.

WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — In the aftermath of Tuesday's defeat of the tax levy for Willoughby-Eastlake Schools, the district has rolled out its plan for cuts, some of which will take effect immediately. 

Issue 4, a continuous, additional tax levy would have had an annual cost of $174.65 per $100,000 in property valuation, according to the Lake County Auditor's Office. It was defeated by a 54%-46% margin.

RELATED: Willoughby-Eastlake, Euclid, Chardon, North Ridgeville among school levies that were defeated in Election 2019

In an email sent to parents on Thursday, Willoughby Middle School principal Lawrence Keller announced the timetable for cuts that will impact busing, extra-curricular activities, and security in the district.  

  • Cut Busing to State Minimums (effective August 1, 2020). There will be no buses for high school students and students living within two miles of their school will not be bused. 
  • Eliminate Field/Band Trips (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Eliminate the School of Innovation High School (effective August 1, 2020)
  • Eliminate Crossroads (effective Jan. 3, 2020)
  • Eliminate Middle Schools Police Officers (effective Jan. 3, 2020)
  • Eliminate All Middle School Athletics (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Eliminate All District Non-Athletic Supplementals (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Eliminate Freshman Athletic Programs (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Reduce Travel & Meeting Expenses by 90% (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Reduce Instructional Expenses by 10% (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Reduce Classroom Supplies by 10% (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Reduce Due & Fee Expenses by 10% (effective Nov. 7, 2019)
  • Sell Browning, Wash., Taft, McKinley (starting Nov. 7, 2019)

RELATED: Willoughby-Eastlake school levy failure leads to immediate cuts

"As you may have guessed, the mood in our school has been somber since the news of the levy failure hit home," Keller wrote. "Students have had a great deal of information to process with regard to the immediate impacts of the failure of Issue 4.  As you might imagine, there were many students that were immediately affected by the levy failure." 

There is a vote scheduled in March for yet another school levy and if that one fails, there will be even more cuts.

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