Thursday evening, meeting in a special session, the Board of Education passed a resolution removing the income tax issue from the ballot.

School Superintendent Barbara Townsend said the school district stands to gain significantly from Gov. Ted Strickland's budget proposal.

Considered as one of Ohio's poorer school districts, Bradford schools would receive an increase of 15.5 percent in state funding during fiscal year 2008 and an additional 7 percent in fiscal year 2009.

Townsend feels it would not be prudent or practical to continue pushing to increase the current 1.75 percent income tax, based on an unknown amount of state aid.

"It would be reckless and irresponsible to ask our community to have the highest school income tax in the state of Ohio if we know there was a possibility of other funding being available to help us," Townsend said.

Bradford Exempted Village School District, a small, rural district divided by the Miami County and Darke County line, has already had two previously unsuccessful attempts for a 0.75 percent increase in income taxes for school operations.

Steve.Baker@WHIOTV.com