Resident Addresses City Heads on Levy: Maintain Schools, Don't Rebuild

One Avon Lake resident decided to take his support to the top of city government: Avon Lake City Council.

Seven-year resident Bob Moore followed comments to City Council by School Superintendent Bob Scott addressed to City Council last week.

Scott laid out the basics. Issue 10 is a 10-year emergency levy will generate $6.5 million per year at a cost of $253.58 per $100,000 home valuation.

“Avon Lake has been caught in the perfect storm since 2009,” Scott said, of when GenOn was devalued. He said the district will lose $8 million per year in revenue.

“It’s been a tough slog for the past couple of years.”

He stressed the importance of passing the levy and then passed the podium over to resident Bob Moore, who gave his opinion.

Bob Moore, a Compass Cove resident and his family moved to Avon Lake in 2006.

Moore said he moved from Cincinnati to Cleveland for the schools. Natives of Rocky River, they opted to look at all the west side schools.

He and his wife conducted extensive research on Cleveland’s west-side schools.

“At the end of the day we came to the conclusion that Avon Lake was the best school system for our kids,” Moore said.

“When it comes to the homes and opportunity for education, in our minds it was schools first, neighborhood second and price third,” he said.

He felt like many families it was to find the best opportunity for their children.

“I don’t want to say we were price agnostic,” Moore said. “But price in my mind is only an issue in the absence of value and for us there was a ton of value in Avon Lake.”

He noted when people look for schools and communities they look at rankings.

“You look at the property values since 2008, it’s devastating,” he said. "It’s easier to maintain, then to rebuild. If we have an opportunity to maintain, I think it’s important to do so.”

Moore and Scott said additional information is available at Avonlakecitychools.org and on Facebook at Avon Lake School Levy.

The district is also holding an informational forum tonight at 7 p.m. at the Avon Lake Library, to discuss questions and concerns regarding Issue 10. Superintendent Bob Scott and members of the Avon Lake Citizens for Schools will present information and answer questions.