MANSFIELD — The Tyger Digital Academy is now offline.
The Mansfield City School board of education voted 3-0 to shutter the district’s online learning option during a special meeting Tuesday night.
Board member Jennifer Kime was absent. Board member Gary Feagin abstained from the vote since his wife, Ruby, worked as the TDA’s family liaison.
Mansfield City Schools launched the Tyger Digital Academy in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
At its peak, more than 1,100 students participated in the K-12 program, but enrollment has declined each year. District officials say the TDA had a projected enrollment of fewer than 60 students for the 2024-2025 school year.
Supt. Stan Jefferson said the district is committed to supporting students and families through the transition and providing all students with a high quality education.
“At the end of the day, it comes down to taking care of your students, your school and your families,” he said.
“We still have to take care of our students. We are not going to be in a district that has a school-to-prison pipeline and puts students out on the street. We’ve got to find other ways.”
Feagin criticized the decision to close the TDA.
“I think the decision was rushed into. I think the timing was off,” he said. “I totally disagree with it.”
“A lot of these kids are underprivileged. A lot of them are Black males.”
Feagin said he first became aware of discussions surrounding the building’s closure a month ago, but thought it wouldn’t occur until next year.
Elswick pushed back, saying the board examined two five-year-forecasts during a prior executive session — one showing the district’s financial future if the TDA closed after the 2023-2024 school year and one if it didn’t.
Tyger Digital Academy cost district more than $2 million per year
Board president Chris Elswick said closing the Tyger Digital Academy was a difficult but necessary decision in light of the district’s financial situation.
Mansfield City Schools had a $3.3 million operating deficit during the 2023-2024 school year.
A recent five-year forecast predicted deficit spending of around $2.2 million for each of the next two school years. Interim treasurer Barb Donahue also projected the district would reach a negative unreserved cash balance by 2026.
Meanwhile, school districts are no longer receiving COVID-19 relief funds, which were used to support the TDA’s operation.
District officials say the closure of the TDA will save more than $2 million. All staff will be reassigned to open positions in the district.
Elswick said he sympathized with the families affected. He also praised the work of TDA staff over the last four years.
“This was not a decision that we’ve come to lightly,” he said. “It breaks my heart that any kid has to suffer anytime, anywhere. But we’re in a position where we just can’t do it financially.”
Families and staff express frustration at the timing of Tyger Digital Academy closure
According to the most recent round Ohio School Report Cards, the Tyger Digital Academy had an overall rating of 1.5 out of 5 stars, meaning it fell significantly behind state standards for achievement, progress, gap closing and graduation rates.
TDA families and staff said those numbers don’t tell the full story. They described the TDA as a place where students with disabilities could get their education in a setting that worked for them.
Intervention specialist Matthew Clark said many of his TDA students hadn’t been successful in traditional public school.
“We had one child who was expelled from a different school district. He was put out for being a disciplinary problem at the high school. He came to us,” Clark said.
“He had autism. He was sensitive to light. He could sit at home in his room, with the lights off a little bit. He was able to graduate from Tyger Digital. I’m very proud of that.”
Clark said he worried about the students with disabilities served by the TDA.
“I have students that are currently with us that I fear may not be able to handle being in the classroom with other students,” he said.
“It’s not that they’re not dedicated students. They want to learn. They just have a different way of doing it.”
Nancy Murphy said she first learned of the school’s impending closure last month. Her grandson, who has special needs, attended TDA.
“It’s such a short notice that I feel like you put our back to the wall,” Murphy told board members.
“Tyger Digital became a family. We all got very close to the teachers. My grandson and I are losing our family and it is breaking our hearts.”
Ruby Feagin, the school’s family liaison, described TDA as a creative opportunity to serve students.
“We have been able to service kids at every level over and above every district in this area,” she said. “I am sad and disappointed that in this pool of educators, we have not had the creativity to look at this and find out how we can continue it.”
“Any time you’re moving away from technology or you’re moving away from distant learning in this era, we’re going in the wrong direction.”
More cuts needed to ensure district’s financial security long term
Elswick said being a board member sometimes means making tough financial decisions.
“This is just what our job is, to be the stewards of the money,” he said. “It’s a terrible job. But it’s something that has to be done.”
He added that not dealing with the deficit could eventually result in less local control over the district.
The Ohio Auditor of State’s office has the authority to place school districts in fiscal emergency and impose oversight on their finances — something Mansfield City Schools experienced from 2013 to 2016.
Elswick said the board has taken other measures to decrease the deficit, from tabling a two-percent raise for administrators to cutting purchased services. Last month, the board voted to put an operating levy on the November ballot.
“This is not done. This is just a start,” Elswick said. “We still need to save a lot more money.”
