At its March 3 meeting, the Cloverleaf Board of Education approved three previously cut services that would be brought back if voters approve the district’s levy request on the May 6 ballot.

Beginning with the 2014-15 school year:

-- High school busing would be restored

-- Half-day-every-day kindergarten would be restored

-- Buildings would be re-opened for use by community groups after school hours

The May 6 ballot request is a combination levy. It blends a 0.75 percent earned income tax with a 3.5-mill property tax. It will appear on the ballot as a single 10-year issue. The lower property tax amount is designed to ease the cost for retirees and owners of large parcels of land.

The earned income tax portion of the levy would be paid only by those currently earning a wage. Social Security income, child support, investment income, retirement income and rental income are NOT TAXED. The 0.75 percent earned income tax would generate approximately $3 million per year.

The 3.5-mill portion of the levy would generate $1.6 million per year. Its cost per $100,000 of assessed property value is $10.21 per month. Please note "assessed value" is not the same as a home's selling price. Property owners can visit www.medinacountyauditor.org to calculate the exact cost for their property.

Passage of this combination levy will prevent additional cuts and provide financial stability for Cloverleaf into the 2020s. Without this funding, a state Fiscal Oversight Commission will require Cloverleaf to make an additional $1 million in budget cuts. These cuts include a shortened school day; elimination of K-6 art, music and physical education; elimination of 19 staff positions and a reduction in hours for 29 additional staff.

On top of the $7 million in reductions the district has implemented over the past five years, these additional cuts will have a negative impact on the quality of education at Cloverleaf.