When I was elected to the Chardon Schools Board of Education nearly four years ago, the district was experiencing a financial crisis.Cuts to our state…
When I was elected to the Chardon Schools Board of Education nearly four years ago, the district was experiencing a financial crisis.
Cuts to our state funding had resulted in cost-cutting measures that were impacting educational programs and students across the district. As examples, art, music, gifted and business programs saw reductions or were gone altogether.
Supplies were cut and we had difficulty making payroll due to lack of cash and timing in receiving our share of local property taxes.
Finally, in late 2013, we were able to pass a levy.
The last levy seems to be a recent talking point. A lot of time and effort goes into a levy campaign and the number of people willing to help is limited. It took six attempts to pass the last one. When it did pass, it was with a margin of about 400 votes.
When choosing the size of the levy, the board had to compromise between what was needed for the future and what we felt would be acceptable to the taxpayer. This gave us a fighting chance in passing the levy, but with limited capacity for additional expenses.
The 5.9 mils gave the ability to restore some lost educational programs for our students, but with very limited cost increases. We are trying to make this levy last. This is what the taxpayers expect due to their own financial constraints and they have said this to board members.
The district budget has to be balanced by law. It has to be certified that we are able to meet any new contractual obligations with our employees. We have seen one local school district collapse due to lack of funding. We are trying to prevent the same from happening to our district.
The board is expected to forecast five years into the future, but at best, we know our income or funding for two years due to the way the state sets its budget.
In the last budget, we saw a very modest increase. In the first proposal for the latest budget, it looked like we might lose close to $1.4 million. At best, when the budget is finalized, we can expect no increase in state funding. At worst we will lose some funding.
The governor has made it clear through a proposed new funding formula that property rich districts, such as Chardon, are expected to contribute more to their funding. At the same time, the Tangible Personal Property (TPP) reimbursement was to be eliminated to the tune of about $900,000 for our district. This may not come to pass for this budget cycle, but I fully expect this issue to return in the next cycle.
The TPP tax was a business tax that was removed as part of overall tax reform in 2005 as a way to improve the business climate in Ohio. The TPP taxes were local dollars that were paid directly to schools. Today, our local businesses are still paying their taxes (called CAT taxes now), but instead of coming to Chardon Schools, they get sent to Columbus and don’t make it back. That’s the harsh reality of today — what is decided at the state level is played out at the local level.
I believe that people need to focus their attention on Columbus. Let the governor and state legislature know we expect adequate funding for public education without an over reliance on property taxes. The future of our state and the country rely on a well educated population.
I can only speak for myself, but my focus is on not returning to the days when we eliminated educational opportunities for our students. This means balancing limited financial resources to ensure students receive textbooks, supplies and the education they deserve as well as ensuring we have some ability to withstand unanticipated expenses, such as those mandated with special education.
We need to continue to compare ourselves against other districts as well as the private sector as we review our finances and look for cost containment opportunities.
Many of the taxpayers in our district make these comparisons when making a decision to vote on a levy.
Guy Wilson, President
Chardon Schools Board of Education
Hambden Township
