At the Elyria City School District Board of Education meeting on Nov. 5, Treasurer Colleen Abel reported that a levy placed before voters the previous day did not pass and said the district will continue to evaluate its budget and priorities.

"Unfortunately, the levy did not pass yesterday," Treasurer Colleen Abel said, adding that the district would remain "transparent and responsible stewards of the taxpayers' dollars." She thanked community members who supported the measure.

Superintendent Anne Slosch placed the levy result in a longer-term funding context and called for changes to how schools are financed. "In 1999, when the first Doral case was, found the way we fund schools unconstitutional, the local taxpayers were responsible for about 47% of the property tax, and it is now up to 67," Slosch said. "That just shows you how much more is being put on the shoulders of our local homeowners or business owners. At the end of the day, we have to find a different way to fund schools, and we need true tax reform."

Both officials described the immediate district response as fiscal prudence rather than program cuts. Abel said the district will "continue to provide the high quality education with the resources that we have," and the superintendent invited community members to contact district offices with questions about funding and budget priorities.

No dollar amounts, specific program cuts, or immediate layoffs were announced at the meeting. The board did not hold a separate, detailed budget workshop during this session; officials indicated further analysis and transparency on budget decisions will follow.

The meeting included routine approvals and other business; board members also highlighted upcoming school events including the high-school play, English language learner (ELL) night, middle-school drama performances and the holiday concert schedule.

What happened next: The board approved routine action items during the Nov. 5 meeting; the district said it will continue evaluating spending and priorities in light of the levy result.