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Willoughby-Eastlake, Canton, among districts to pass new school levies; Cleveland Heights, Euclid fail

Which other districts are facing key levy issues tonight? Check out our rundown.

CLEVELAND — After a delay of about six weeks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio will finally reveal the results of the 2020 Primary Election on Tuesday night. 

While much of the state and national attention will be focused on how many delegates Joe Biden will win in his march toward the Democratic nomination for President of the United States, locally there are many key school levy issues to watch. 

CLICK HERE for election results. (We will have them available throughout the night at WKYC.com and the 3News app.)

Willoughby-Eastlake City Schools - PASSED 57%-43%

The failure of Issue 4 in November led to immediate cuts, including cutting busing to state minimums, eliminating middle school athletics, and ending field trips as well as band trips. That appears to have been at least partly reversed after voters overwhelmingly approved Issue 1 on Tuesday.

According to the district, the new 4.94 mill levy is 47 cents per day per $100,000 of market (also called appraised) value. If it hadn't passed, Willoughby-Eastlake would have suffer another $6.5 million in cuts.

RELATED: Willoughby-Eastlake superintendent says $6.5 million more in cuts to come if March levy doesn't pass

RELATED: Willoughby-Eastlake school district reveals timeline for budget cuts after levy fails to pass

Canton City School District - PASSED 55%-45%

Canton was another major school district facing deep cuts, having already slashed $7.6 million from the budget last year and claiming they faced another round of $5.1 million next year.

With the passage of Issue 19, a 7.9 mil operating levy, officials say students will now see increased access to health care, classroom services, the arts, and quality teachers. It's the first time the city has passed a new school levy since 2011, although the district says less drastic cuts will still have to be made.

Euclid City Schools - FAILED 52%-48%

Tuesday's Issue 27 was an 8.7 mill operating issue. The district says it will be forced to make "additional and significant cuts that will negatively affect our students’ academic growth and progress," since it failed to pass. Those cuts include teachers, administrators, athletics, and the arts.

Lakewood City Schools - PASSED 77%-23%

Lakewood City Schools Board of Education put a 3.9 mill levy and 1.0 mill permanent improvement (PI) levy on the ballot. The funds will go toward services including: Providing mental health services for elementary students; Retaining and recruiting high-quality teachers by paying them competitive salaries; Adding STEM offerings to prepare students for their futures.

Parma City School District - PASSED 59%-41%

Issue 31 is a renewal of a levy that was first passed in 2011. District leaders emphasize that the measure is not a new tax. It represents 10.6% of Parma Schools' general fund budget, or $15.6 million per year. The district says this levy funds day-to-day operations including high-quality classroom instruction and important support services.

Brunswick City Schools - FAILED 56%-44%

An emergency 5.5-mill, 10-year emergency operating levy was on the ballot for this primary election. District leaders had said if the measure failed, it would have mean the elimination of high school busing, among other cuts. 

Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools - FAILED 52%-48%

The 7.9 mill levy sought to bring in more than $8 million in new revenue for the district, but failure could now mean some $5 million worth of cuts. The levy would've added roughly $275 in property taxes per year for every $100,000 of a home’s value.

Other districts with issues on Tuesday's ballot include:

  • Canton - PASSED 55%-45%
  • Olmsted Falls - PASSED 55%-45%
  • North Ridgeville - PASSED 57%-43%
  • Aurora - PASSED 75%-25%
  • Kent - PASSED 76%-24%
  • Brooklyn - PASSED 65%-35%
  • South Euclid-Lyndhurst - PASSED 59%-41%
  • Orange - PASSED 77%-23%
  • Perry (Stark County) - PASSED 55%-45%
  • North Canton - PASSED 54%-46%
  • Cloverleaf - PASSED 59%-41%
  • Manchester - BOTH PASSED 58%-42% & 57%-43%
  • Coventry - PASSED 59%-41%
  • Louisville - FAILED 54%-45%
  • Rootstown - PASSED 61%-39%
  • Waterloo - FAILED 55%-45%
  • Windham - FAILED 53%-47%
  • Fairport Harbor - FAILED 57%-43%
  • Huron - PASSED 74%-26%
  • South Central - FAILED 64%-36%
  • New Philadelphia - FAILED 68%-32%
  • Claymont - PASSED 53%-47%

RELATED: Primary Election 2020: A look at key issues on the ballot in Northeast Ohio

RELATED: Primary Election Day 2020: What you need to know

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