Monday, April 30, 2001
Fostoria schools to request funds
By Cathy Willoughby
Staff Writer
Voters in the Fostoria Community School district will see the first request for new money since 1994 on the May 8 ballot as a 5-mill levy.
The millage has been broken down into a 3-mill increase for general operating expenses and 2 mills for permanent improvements.
Superintendent Sharon Stannard said voters also would see a savings of 1.5 mills in January 2002 when the bond millage for the middle school is reduced. Due to this, she said the actual increase in millage residents will pay is 3.5 mills.
District Treasurer Jane Fruth said the school district's total budget is $22 million. During the past eight years, increases in necessary expenditures as well as a reduction in state formula money has resulted in a projected deficit for the next fiscal year.
"We are required to do a five-year forecast,'' Stannard said, which was due to the state by May 31. "During the next fiscal year we have to find a way to get 700,000 more dollars. We need the money now. It's hard to find a way to reduce $700,000 in expenditures.''
She added that July 1 was the date that all cuts would have to be made if the levy did not pass.
"We would have to make significant cuts that would impact every operation of the district,'' Stannard explained. "It would spread out over the entire district.''
The millage specified for permanent improvements has been broken down further, Stannard said. "One mill will be used to replace the 30-year-old high school roof,'' she said. "Another half mill will help provide funds for technology needs. The other half will go to provide safety, security and transportation needs for the students.''
The total to be generated for permanent improvements annually would be $427,172.
The general operating portion is needed, Stannard said, to continue the programs that Fostoria schools have instituted to increase test scores and offer services to families. She cited the purchase of new and additional textbooks, maintaining small class sizes, Character Counts and School to Work.
She broke down the requested millage into 1 mill for textbooks and resource materials, 1 mill for maintaining smaller class sizes and all-day kindergarten, and 1 mill for Making Schools Work, Character Counts and staff development. Each is estimated to cost $213,586.
"We have been making good strides,'' Stannard said, referring to the increases in the district's proficiency scores. "We want to keep the momentum going.''
The cost to the owner of home valued at $60,000 will be $64.30; for one at $80,000, $85.75; and for a home valued at $120,000, $128.62. The new levy collection would begin in January 2002.
Stannard cautioned that no one is sure what the legislators in Columbus are going to do about school funding.
"After 28 years in education, I've never seen Columbus bail out a school district yet,'' Stannard said. "If we don't take care of things locally, there will a point when the state will help us make the choices for the community schools. And it will be the students who get hurt.''