School Board Appreciation Month celebrated
Bellefontaine High School sophomore and FCCLA member Lily Evans presents an advocacy speech she prepared for FCCLA regional competition regarding the importance of recognizing student mental health needs. (EXAMINER PHOTO | MANDY LOEHR)
Bellefontaine City Schools Board of Education members unanimously approved at their Monday evening meeting a motion to proceed with a 10-year emergency operating levy that will appear on the May 7 ballot.
The levy would raise $1,750,000 annually for operating expenses, which includes education programming, utilities, transportation textbooks, student safety measures and improvements, building and grounds maintenance and cleaning, staff and classroom needs.
Superintendent Brad Hall related that the term “emergency” designates that the levy it is presented to voters as a fixed dollar amount, verses a fixed millage amount. The amount collected from the levy does not grow as the years progress, even with new construction in the area.
An advisory millage amount of 6.2 mills for the levy will appear on the ballot, but the mills are adjusted annually to bring in the approved dollar amount, officials related.
The superintendent and Treasurer Keith Krieger said at the last meeting that the levy has become necessary after the district has been in deficit spending since fiscal year 2017. The treasurer related that Bellefontaine City Schools has received flatlined state funding in recent years, which it makes it difficult to keep pace with the rising costs of the expenses for insurance, personnel, supplies, materials, utilities and transportation.
The two administrators noted the district has only gone to taxpayers once in the past 27 years for additional funding, with an operating levy that was passed in 2007.
“Our school board has done an excellent job of controlling costs over the last 27 years,” Hall said. “Think about what has happened to costs over 27 years.
“With the rising operating expenses over many years, minimal increases in state and local funding, and reductions in federal funding, the district has now reached a point where additional operating dollars are needed.”
Read complete BOE NEWS in Tuesday’s Examiner.
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