MANSFIELD — The Mansfield City school board voted Tuesday to move forward with putting a new emergency levy on the November ballot.
The school board voted unanimously to pass a resolution of necessity for a combined property and income tax levy. Board members will vote on a final resolution next month.
“To start the process, we have to have the resolution of necessity passed so I can file it with the county auditor to get the certified millage,” interim treasurer Barb Donohue explained. “Then we’ll bring it back to the board again.”
The proposed five-year levy would generate approximately $7.8 million in new operating money for the district. Approximately $3 million would come from property tax; the remaining $4.8 million would come from income tax.
If approved, residents of the Mansfield City School district would pay a one percent earned income tax. Social security and other retirement pensions would not be taxed.
Board president Chris Elswick said the funds would help offset the district’s deficit spending without making drastic cuts.
The district’s most recent five-year forecast, released in May, projected Mansfield City Schools would operate with a $3.3 million deficit in fiscal year 2024 and $2.2 deficit in fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
What is a fiscal year?
A fiscal year is a one-year period used for accounting purposes. Some government entities, businesses and non-profits use a fiscal year rather than a calendar year. Generally speaking, school districts operate on a fiscal year that runs from July 1 to June 30. A fiscal year is named for the calendar year in which it ends. For example, Mansfield City Schools’ fiscal year 2025 will begin July 1, 2024 and end on June 30, 2025.
The forecast also projected the district’s unreserved cash balance would drop to a negative in fiscal year 2026.
Elswick said the $7.8 million in additional operating revenue would help build up that cash reserve and put the district on more solid financial footing.
“We would like to have 60 days cash (of operating expenses in our cash reserves),” Elswick said. “We’re more like 22.”
Elswick said the district is continuing to look at cost-saving measures, but more severe cuts may be necessary if the levy doesn’t pass.
“We need to get to a point where we’re not spending more money than we’re taking in,” he said.
“Everything is on the table. We just closed a building. We could close another building. We could RIF (have a reduction in force). We could cut programming. It’s just difficult right now. We try to do the least damage to the classroom as possible.”
The last time voters approved new operating funds for the district was 2013, when the district passed an emergency levy, according to Donohue.
Even if the levy passes, Elswick said he believes the district needs to tighten its belt.
“Not only do we need to cut expenses, we need to do it right now,” he said. “Even if we pass the levy, when are we actually going to see that money — a year, 18 months?”
School board creates new educational requirements for substitute teachers
The board also voted to require substitute teachers in the district to possess either an associate degree or higher, or complete at least two years of coursework at an accredited institution of higher education.
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ohio law required substitute teachers to hold a bachelor’s degree in any subject.
In response to a dire need for substitutes, the state waived that requirement several times before permanently eliminating it last year.
Now, Ohio law permits school districts to hire substitutes without a bachelor’s degree, provided they meet the district’s or school’s own set of educational requirements, pass a background check and are “of good moral character.”
Other business
The board also approved the following contracts:
- A $12,000 contract with Catalyst Life Services to provide paid work experience for special education students, including training, classes, supplies and job skills lessons, for the 2024-2025 school.
- A $42,000 contract with Resource Solutions Associates, LLC of Norwalk to provide safety consulting services, maintain compliance with Ohio Department of Education safety rules and regulations, assist with safety planing, staff training, professional development and drills, and assist the district safety committee.
- A $22,920, one year contract with PublicSchoolWORKS for access to EmployeeSafe and StudentWatch.
- An agreement with Allerton Hill Communications for crisis management, social media engagement and content development with a yearly contract amount of $62,040.
- A $29,936 quote from TouchPoint for an employee time clock system.
- A $17,200 annual contract with FinalForms, a software program used for student registration, student information management, attendance tracking and athletic forms.
The board also:
- Approved monthly financials and donations to the district, including several in memory of former administrator Albert Vincent Black.
