Board Approves Next Round of Cuts
Through a combination of reductions and revenue enhancements, the Board approved another $1.1 million in savings for the district at their meeting on Tuesday, February 18.
Cuts alone total $934,750 and include:
Eight county aide positions, the elimination of the interoffice mail route, the reduction of one secondary and one elementary school teacher, a 10 percent reduction in field trips, a 10 percent reduction in building and superintendent budgets, reduction of $15,600 in the Hamilton County Education Service Center contract, elimination of paper calendars and kindergarten T-Shirts, and a 75 percent reduction of custodial sub costs.
Revenue enhancements, so far totaling an estimated $209,650, will come from: an increase of pay-to-play, $125 for middle school students, and $175 for high school students, a 10 percent increase in facility usage fee, and an increase in open enrollment caps to 24 students.
The total for cuts and enhancements is $1,144,400.
To see a full listing of the reductions/enhancements view the pdf that’s available on BoardDocs.
These cuts/enhancements are in addition to the $3 million reductions approved and implemented by the Board for this school year (2019-2020).
The reductions are intended to help offset the $8 million revenue loss caused by changes in power plants and public utility taxes, specifically the closure of Beckjord, sale of Zimmer, and deregulation. The reductions/enhancements alone can not make up the total annual revenue loss.
For this reason, the Board is asking voters to consider a 9.4-mill operating levy on March 17. If approved, the levy would generate about $4.3 million annually to help fund daily school operations. This is the district’s first operating levy since 1977.
The requested millage includes 0.5-mill earmarked for three key areas (curriculum, safety/security, and technology) that respondents to a recent district survey identified as ‘very important.’
Superintendent Tracey Miller reminded the Board that the district is in Fiscal Precaution, and the Ohio Department of Education requires the district to submit a plan for balancing the budget. The plan the New Richmond Schools will submit to the state includes the reduction of this additional $1 million in expenses and the levy passage.