Stanic, O’Grady to co-chair levy campaign
By Jeff Gallatin
North Olmsted
Published March 15, 2006

School officials are hoping a couple of big guns help the district’s May levy campaign hit the target this time.

School Superintendent Kurt Stanic will be co-chairman of the levy committee along with North Olmsted Mayor Thomas O’Grady, a former middle school teacher in the district. Converting the older portions of the current middle school into a performing arts auditorium and community is a major part of the 2.9-mill capital improvements levy proposal. Another would convert Pine School into the district’s new middle school, replacing the current Butternut Ridge Road building. In addition to the capital improvements levy, the district also has a 6.5-mill operating levy on the ballot.

Stanic said having the superintendent and mayor of the city jointly chair the levy committee says something about the commitment of the district to getting the levies passed.

“We thought about having a private citizen as one of the chairs or as a single chair, but I thought this is a good thing,” Stanic said. “We both have that commitment to education, and this also is a good way of telling people that this is important to the community.”

O’Grady said he’s happy to be taking part in the campaign.

“What we’re talking about with these levies is the future of our community and the future of our children,”

O’Grady said. “We have to ensure that we have the proper facilities and opportunities for them to be successful. These levies will play a major role in that.”

O’Grady’s duel experience as an educator and longtime city official is a plus, Stanic said.

“He cares about the educational process as well as specifically about education in North Olmsted, “ Stanic said. “It’s a great benefit to have a mayor who is willing to get involved and make a commitment to education and the role it plays in a community.

“He also understands finances, what goes into a budget and the need for making sure that there are adequate facilities,” Stanic said. “He has experience both on city council and as mayor in dealing with budget and finances.”

Stanic said he anticipates both he and O’Grady will be busy with the campaign.

“We’ll be talking to all sorts of people and groups about the schools and what we’re proposing,” Stanic said. “We want to make sure we answer people’s questions and get our message out to them. We didn’t do that enough the last time in November. So we listened to what they’ve told us and we’ve separated the issues this time.”

Voters rejected a combined capital improvements/operating levy last November by a 56-44 percent margin.

Stanic said other high-profile district personnel such as school principals and athletic coaches will also be working on the campaign.

“We have a commitment to it and the children as a district,” he said.

O’Grady said that commitment includes his helping get the levies passed.

“In addition to helping make a brighter future, successful schools aid the community by helping bring in more people and businesses,” O’Grady said. “And when you have more of them, the schools also get better. It all works together.”

O’Grady said the current way of funding schools isn’t the best, but the people have to deal with it for now.

“They’ve been told at the state level that it’s wrong and unconstitutional,” O’Grady said. “It places too much of a burden on people and the property tax by forcing people to have to hear from the schools every three years on this. They need to fix this because it’s unfair and forces people and schools into bad positions on funding.

“But until they do, this is what we’re working with and we have to ensure that there is adequate funding available for the school districts. That’s why I’m going to be out working on this campaign for the schools.”