The Boardman Local School Board will host a “Community Engagement’ meeting Tues., Mar. 20 in the high school cafeteria, opening at 6:30 p.m.
      Jeff Barone, school board president, said upwards of 500 persons could attend the meeting that was called in light of a 5.9-mil additional tax levy that will be on the May 8 primary ballot.
      Supt. Tim Saxton said the meeting will include a presentation on the “State of the Boardman Local Schools,” and then lead to discussion on the proposed tax levy.
      The Friends of Boardman Schools has contacted a consultant, William Corky O’Callaghan, to assist with the levy campaign, Barone said. O’Callaghan says he has spent 25 years helping educational leaders utilize the power of community engagement to build public support to address the challenges and opportunities impacting their schools and community, according to his web site.
      Among the financial issues facing the school board is the loss of over $10 million in state subsidies, as well as a loss of property taxes due to St. Elizabeth Hospital being declared as “non-profit,” Barone said.
      In January, Supt. Saxton said despite the loss of state subsidies, as well property taxes from St. Elizabeth Hospital, the system would still have a carryover at the end of the year, but it would be reduced from approximately $8 million down to $5 million.
      “We are currently spending funds from our savings. Without additional funding, we will be out of money by the middle of fiscal year 2019, Treasurer Nick Ciarniello said.
      Barone said if the 5.9-mil issue fails in May, the school board “will have to make changes,” some of which are already happening, like cutbacks in staffing through attrition.
      Some considerations will be given to additional cutbacks, if the levy fails, perhaps reducing staff between eight to a dozen teaching positions, an increased cost for participation in athletic programs, and possibly the elimination of a language class (French), Barone said.
      If approved, the 5.9-mil levy would generate about $4.9 million annually over a ten year period.
      If the levy passes in May, Ciarniello said “As currently presented the Boardman Local School District will have a surplus from 2020-2022.
      “After that, we will be slightly deficit spending from 2023-2025, which we have plans to reduce to $0 for each year by continuing to tighten our belt,” the treasurer said, adding “Lastly in 2026-2028 is a projected large deficit. The large deficit will need to be absorbed by the surplus generated in the years 2020-2022. This is how the school will survive on this new levy for the next 10 years until the year 2028.”
      Members of the Boardman Local School Levy Committee are Bill Amendol, Jeff Barone, Linda Beichner (co-chair), Jared Cardillo, Nick Ciarniello, Vickie Davis, Anissa Kalbasky, Phil Landers, Frank Lazzeri (treasurer), Sandy Manley, Jim Ohle, Dave Pavlansky, Amy Radinovic, Tanna Sebrell, Rick Sebrell, Tim Saxton, Patrick Spearman (co-chair), and Robyn Triveri.
      The Friends of Boardman Local Schools is a political action committee whose current treasurer is former Boardman Local School Supt. Frank Lazzeri; and whose assistant treasurer is former Middle School Principal Ed Lugibihl.