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ELIDA­ — Elida Local Schools’ worst fears were realized Tuesday night as the election concluded: voters chose not to grant the district’s plea for new money.

The proposed .75-percent earned income tax would’ve generated around $2.06 million a year to help Elida maintain what programming and personnel it has retained, despite losing $1.6 million alone in the last state budget.

Over the past decade, Elida has reduced spending by $3 million, taking pay freezes, cutting 43 personnel positions, closing the Gomer kindergarten building, reducing and condensing bus routes and eliminating vital programming, including the much-lauded “Success” service program that gained the district national recognition.

Superintendent Don Diglia says the cuts that will come now will be far more dire.