Politics & Government

Kos: School Levy Defeat Added To Lorain Schools' Decline

Councilman, who grew up in Lorain, personally experienced decline.

To the Editor:

As an elected official in Avon Lake, I strongly endorse Issue 10. I grew up in Lorain and had the privilege of attending Lorain City Schools in the 80’s and early 90’s. The Lorain city school system that I was a part of was successful and a far cry from the issues that Lorain City School’s currently suffer.

The decline of the Lorain school system can be traced to two events. The first was the defeat of the 1991 school levy, the failure to pass the school levy led to the cancellation of most sports (including football) and major cuts in academics.   

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The second was the downsizing and eventual closure of the Lorain Assembly Plant. The City of Lorain did not pass another school levy for over 20 years. 

The closure of the Ford Plant created a crater in the tax based funding of the schools from which they have not recovered. While not “apples to apples” both of these events closely mirror what Avon Lake is facing with our levy and the closing of the power plant. 

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Lorain Schools at one time were very successful. The downfall did not occur overnight, but was a gradual slide that has now bottomed out. I experienced that downfall first hand; I do not want to see it happen in our community.   

I am a firm believer in “you get what you pay for.”  In Avon Lake we have passed levies and have seen excellent results. We have achieved what every other school system dreams of; we are “getting what we pay for.” I encourage Avon Lake residents to join me and let’s keep Avon Lake and our schools “excellent.” Our top ranked schools are a source of community pride and we are getting the results that all Avon Lake residents can be proud of.

Vote “Yes” on Issue 10.

David Kos Avon Lake City Council – Ward 4


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