Oberlin voters rejected a $1.9 million tax increase Tuesday that would have given a laptop to every Oberlin City school student from sixth through twelfth grade.

According to Oberlin City Council President Daniel Gardner, the laptop initiative, which was the only measure directly affecting Oberlin on the May 8 ballot, was somewhat contentious. Gardner said many residents were concerned about the effectiveness of laptops in raising student achievement, and others were bothered by recent property tax increases after county reevaluations of property values.

The tax levy was part of the city’s attempt to institute a broader program, called the Laptops for Equity and Achievement Program, aimed at improving student performance in its schools. LEAP also involves the adoption of the International Baccalaureate Program and the Universal Design for Learning, which is a research-based means of providing individualized instruction.

Brian Pugh, College junior and co-chair of the OC Democrats, the organization that pushed to get students to vote in Tuesday’s primary, expressed disappointment in the initiative’s outcome.

“We believed that LEAP was a worthwhile effort to level the playing field and improve academic performance in Oberlin schools,” Pugh said. “We are naturally disappointed that the levy didn’t pass. However, I think this was an important learning experience for us, and I hope that we will be able to do more on behalf of Oberlin city schools.”

According to Gardner, because the College is exempt from most property tax and students do not pay property taxes to the city, some residents argue that students should refrain from voting, given their limited connection to city policies.

Prior to Tuesday’s election, Gardner attended Sunday’s Student Senate meeting to suggest a means of addressing resident concerns about student voting. At the Senate meeting, Gardner advocated that the College make voluntary yearly contributions to the city to compensate it for lost tax revenue caused by College tax exemptions. Senate tabled a motion to endorse the measure, which Gardner calls a Payment-In-Lieu-of-Taxes, but said that it would study the matter further.

Oberlin’s was one of several tax levies that Lorain County voters weighed in on this week. However, most of the other levies and bond issues across the county — including a bond issue benefiting Elyria’s school district — were passed.

Oberlin City Schools Superintendent Geoffrey Andrews, who advocated heavily for the tax levy, did not respond to an interview request in time for publication.