Butler County school officials already touting new security tax hike

The final moves to create one of Ohio’s first school security tax districts are still coming together in Butler County, but the informational campaign to persuade voters has already started.

Half of Butler County’s 10 public school systems have agreed to take part in a first-ever, collective school security tax issue, which if approved by voters would pump millions of dollars into upgrading building safety.

The 1.5-mill, 10-year school security tax will be filed with the Butler County elections’ office by Aug. 8 to be placed on the November ballot in five school districts: Hamilton, Fairfield, Edgewood, Monroe and New Miami.

Spurred in part by school shooting massacres in Florida and Texas this year — and others in recent years — the new law gives local schools an additional funding source for enhanced security if voters approve.

Butler County is only the second among Ohio’s 88 counties — the other is Stark County in northern Ohio where some districts have a tax hike on the Aug. 7 ballot — to use the new school tax option now allowed by the state.

Should the new school tax win at the polls, it would impact more than 28,000 students in the five participating school systems.

Regardless of the voter outcome locally on Nov. 6, this new type of school tax issue is already adding to recent momentum generated at all Butler County districts toward strengthening school security. Officials are already busy touting the advantages of the levy.

Larry Knapp, superintendent of Hamilton City Schools, said the new, collective approach to improving school safety is “a great catalyst for Hamilton Schools to be able to put a school safety levy on the ballot with four other districts in the county.”

“With the continued acceleration of violence in our country and in our schools, it is critical for all school districts to be able to make improvements with school safety,” said Knapp.

“Each district who is participating in the Butler County school safety levy has different needs but whether the safety improvements are through the addition of school resource officers, school mental health providers or additional physical fortifications, the passing of this levy will create a consistent reliable source of school safety revenue, which is not now available from the state of Ohio or our federal government,” he said.

Officials at the Butler County Auditor’s Office estimate that if the 1.5-mill tax is approved by Hamilton, Fairfield, New Miami, Monroe and Edgewood residents, its average, annual cost for the owner of a $100,000 home would be about $52.

Chris Brown, superintendent of the Butler County Educational Services Center — which oversees the creation of the new taxing district — said “this ballot issue offers 100 percent transparency to voters. This is not a blank check.”

Brown said the new school tax option “dictates that all funds generated … must be allocated for school safety and security and mental health services, including training and employment of or contracting for the services of safety personnel, mental health personnel, social workers and counselors.”

Fairfield, Hamilton and other participating districts are already conducting school building security assessments so officials will be able to soon tell voters during local campaigns some details about how any new funds from a tax hike will be used.

Russ Fussnecker, superintendent of Edgewood Schools, said his district “is currently performing a comprehensive safety and security assessment by an outside professional company.”

“The assessment will provide Edgewood with detailed information regarding equipment needs, system enhancements, training, mental health services,” said Fussnecker.

And moreover, he said, “this assessment will provide specific recommendations, ensuring the decisions are well-informed and validated, verses making emotional, knee-jerk decisions about safety and security needs.”

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