Ottawa County news. (Port Clinton, Ohio) 1931-1956, 1954-10-22
TW0-MILL LEVY

Editors Note: Each week from
now till election, superintendent
D. D. Sims will present an article
on why passage Of the two mill
school levy here is a vital neces-
sity.)
Last week | pointed out that the
two-mill levy is a MUST" if we
are to remain eligible to receive
Additional Aid" from the State
of Ohio through the Foundation
Program. The Additional Aid"
will amount to approximately
$25, 100000 for the calendar year
1855.
This week / wish to discuss
briefly two other important fac
tors:
Cd Increased Cost of Education
(2) Securing and Holding an Ad-
equate, Well-Trained Teaching
Staff
Operating Costs Have Increased
All the factors of economics
which affect business or industry
also have direct effect upon the
costs of operating a school. Over
five year period beginning with
the school year 1949-1950 and in
cluding the school year 1953-1954,
the cost of operation has increased
80.7%. During the 1949-1950
school year, the cost of operating
the school plant was $161 100000.
This included all expenditures in
the general fund, such as instruc-
ton, transportation, books, janitor
service, heating, lightias and in
fact everything but bond and in
terest. For the 1953-1954 school
year, the operating cost totaled
1921 ,687.00, an increase of 80.7%o.
Part of this increase was due to a
general rise in the cost of all SER
vices and material. Another i'm
portant factor which contributed
toward the increase in operating
costs was increased enrolment
which required additional teach
ers. In 1949-1950, the enrolment
from kindergarten through grade
twelve was 1,169. For the 1854
1855 school year the enrolment
has increased to 1,430. The teach
ing staff has increased from forty
two in 1949-1950, to fifty-five for
the present school year. After
reading these figures you will
probably wonder if Port Clinton
has become extravagant in the op-
Grafton of its schools. The only
way that this can be answered is
by making comparison between
our cost and that of other cities
and exempted villages in Ohio.
The average city and exempted
village in Ohio is spending for
schools 14.5 mills or $14.5O on
each thousand of taxable property.
Port Clinton is spending lib mills
or $11.30 a thousand, over three
mills or $500 per thousand less
than the average city or exempted
village. Now let us consider the to-
tai tax rate for the cities and
exempted villages. The average tax
rate in the one hundred and thir-
ty-five cities in Ohio is 24.18 mills
or S24.18 per thousand. The aver
age tax rate for the seventy-four
exempted villages is twenty-three
mills or $23.00 per thousand. The
total tax rate in the Port Clinton
City School District is 17.8 mills or
$17.80 per thousand, approximate
ly five and one-half mills less
than the average rate in the cities
and exempted villages in Ohio.
Teacher Situation Acute
In the Port Clinton City Schools
it has required two additional
teachers each year during the past
five years to take care of the in
creased enrolment. l become
alarmed when ! project the pres.
ent enrolment figures into the flu
ture. Of course, up to the present
time elementary enrolment has
increased much more rapidly than
the high school, due to the in.
creased birth rate which became
/ pronounced Immediately following
World War II. At the present time
those children are in elementary
grades, but looking into the flu
ture, by 1861 we will have 1926
in the elementary grades Zone
through eight and $40 in the
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