Taxpayers in the Conneaut School District, eligible for Homestead and/or Farmstead tax credits on their school district property tax bills, will see a reduction of over $3.00 when school district property tax bills are sent out in August.

Those taxpayers will see their credit reduced from $196 to $192.54.

The Homestead/Farmstead credit is part of the state rules determined when the state approved casino gambling several years ago amid promises of a significant credit to reduce property taxes.

Those who apply for the credit and are approved at each county level are given a credit on their tax bills with the state then paying the school district that amount. Funds are based on money taken in from the casino gambling and the number of properties approved.

Home owners and farmers must apply for the credit with about 1/3 of school district property owners having applied for the credit over the past few years.

That information was given to Conneaut School District board of Education members when the board met earlier this month and approved a no tax increase budget that furloughed numerous staff members based on a $1.8-million reduction in state funds for the year to begin July 1.

A final budget must be approved by June 30.

Eight members of the public addressed the board at their May 11, meeting including Dale Gillette who resides in the Conneaut Valley area. He proposed a 2-high school plan if a reduction from three high schools needs to be done. He proposed a north/south alignment that would move students from Conneaut and Summit Townships, now part of the Linesville attendance area, to Conneaut Valley [North] High School and a South unit incorporating the rest of the Linesville and Conneaut Lake areas.

Jill Gillette supported a 3-elementary school plan as now in place and a 2-high school plan.

The school board has had no formal discussions on use of school space to this point.

Richard Hoegerl of the Linesville area, in addressing the board twice, claimed the board had no experience in negotiating contracts and suggested hiring someone with experience to negotiate next time contracts are up. He claimed teachers were getting 15% increases

That claim was made even as the school board's lawyer was present. The lawyer has overseen contract talks for the district for a number of years and has extensive background in labor negotiations and law including negotiating and labor law experience in Erie County.

The school directors have not negotiated contracts on their own and several have attended school board association training on negotiations in the past.

The lawyer, George Joseph of the Quinn Law Firm, Erie, has taught seminars for the state School Board Association.

Stephanie Turner of the Conneaut Lake area said budget cuts have put our students in jeopardy. She said the world is now dead to them - done by the government. She expressed a concern with cuts in the elementary art and music programs as the school district has gone from three art teachers to two in the district and cut one music teacher at each elementary school - from two to one.

She said she did not think there would be enough time for the students in 30 minute classes and thought parents need to understand when we cut.

Patty Hoegerl of the Linesville area said she did not think cutting teachers was the answer. She claimed too many chiefs and then talked about her work in the Pre-K program which is a federally funded/state program not something run or funded by the school district. She said she worked 7 straight hours a day and had no breaks, that she was with the children every minute.

She spoke of her two young children and said she was going to send them to the private Calvary Christian Academy rather than the public schools.

Holly Thomas of Linesville, a teacher at Conneaut Lake Elementary School, urged all to work together to be a part of the solution.