MANSFIELD — The Mansfield City Schools financial situation has once again caught the attention of state officials.
The Ohio Department of Education and Workforce asked the district to submit a deficit reduction plan for the second time in seven months.
The district’s most recent five-year forecast projected an operating deficit of $3.9 million for the 2024-2025 school year. It also projected the district would run out of operating funds before the end of the 2025-2026 school year.
The district submitted a plan to ODEW in July, outlining how it would cut costs. That plan was approved, but board president Chris Elswick said it wasn’t fully implemented.
As a result, the district is required to submit a second plan by Feb. 28.
“(ODEW officials) didn’t go into detail, but there was things in the plan that we didn’t completely implement or implement them correctly,” Elswick stated. “The plan is only as good as the implementation.”
Supt. Stan Jefferson said administrators have met weekly “for several months” to discuss cost savings. Leaders from the Mansfield School Employees Association have also sent a list of suggested budget cuts to the board and administrative team.
Elswick said the board will vote on a plan to submit to ODE at its Feb. 18 meeting.
During a meeting Tuesday, board members voted 3-2 to hire RedWin Educational Consultants to provide budget analysis and recommendations as part of the plan’s development.
District leaders said they’ll be working directly with Dan Freund and Janice Wyckoff as part of the contract.
Freund has more than four decades of experience in local K-12 education and served as Mansfield City Schools’ superintendent from 2010 to 2013. From 1978 to 1983, he was Mansfield City School’s special education teacher and hearing impaired coordinator.
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Prior to his superintendent stint at Mansfield City, Freund spent six years as the superintendent of Clear Fork Valley Local Schools. Afterward, he served as the superintendent of Lucas Local Schools from 2013 to 2017 and Highland Local Schools in Marengo from 2017 to 2019.
Wyckoff, who succeeded Freund as Clear Fork’s superintendent. Wyckoff is currently employed as the school treasurer at Crestline Exempted Village School District.
