January 30, 2024
Dear Anthony Wayne Local Schools Stakeholders,
This letter is to keep you informed about the financial status of the District. Last night, the AWLS Board of Education approved a Financial Recovery Plan outlining how the District plans balance the budget for Fiscal Year 2025 and 2026.
An overview of the presentation from last night’s meeting is outlined below. Detailed information is available on the District website. Specific links are at the end of this communication.
Please know that the Board and the administration thoughtfully developed this plan with a focus on the District mission, vision, core beliefs, and goals. There was an attempt to avoid making cuts that affect classrooms and student learning.
Financial Recovery Plan Requirements
This plan was required by the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce Development to demonstrate how the District plans to overcome projected cash fund balance shortfalls by:
increasing revenue to balance the budget, and/or
reducing expenditures by approximately $746,000 in fiscal year 2025 and $3,700,000 in fiscal year 2026.
Potential Revenue Increase: Operational Levy on March Ballot
The District has placed a five-year, 2.42 mill levy on the March 19, 2024 ballot.
If the levy passes, homeowners will pay under $5.00 per month per $100,000 of assessed value for five years. Click here to view a chart of estimated costs for property owners.
This will generate $3.3M each year to pay for the current day-to-day expenses of the District and maintain the same educational services for students.
If it fails, the District will need to make further cuts to balance the budget.
Expenditure Reductions
The following expenditure reductions were approved as a part of this plan:
2023-24 | Immediate reductions | Material and supply accounts have been reduced by $125,000 Purchased Service accounts have been reduced by $150,000 The open school psychologist position will not be filled |
2024-25 | Immediate reductions | The reductions described above, plus: Staff reductions through retirement / resignation Administrative personnel reductions |
Additional reductions if the March new operational levy fails | The reductions described above, plus: Further reduce material and supply accounts by $125,000 Reduce purchased services allocations by $150,000 Implement pay-to-participate for HS/JH extracurricular activities Reduce supplemental contracts for extracurricular activities Personnel reductions in custodial and media center services Eliminate bus service within one mile radius of a school Eliminate extra-curricular bus transportation |
2025-26 | Additional reductions if a new operational levy is not approved in 2024 | The reductions described above, plus: Further reduce the material and supply accounts by $125,000 Further reduce purchased service allocations by $150,000 Further administrative personnel reductions Further decrease supplemental positions for extracurricular activities Further reduce bus service to within a two mile radius of a school Reduce security services at Fallen Timbers Middle School Eliminate District-sponsored field trips. |
2026-27
2027-28 2028-29 | Additional reductions if the levy fails | The five year forecast will be updated in May 2024. In that update, the projected salary increases will be decreased to 1% for FY26, FY27 and FY28. |
Further Expenditure Reductions to be Considered: If further budget reductions are necessary, the AW Board of Education and District Administration will consider decreasing or eliminating the Gifted and Intervention Services offered to students. |
This was an extremely difficult process. The Board of Education and District Administrators administration do not want to reduce services for students, parents, or the community. We do not want to reduce personnel positions. Unfortunately, if the District’s expenditures continue to be higher than its revenue, it will be required by the State to reduce expenditures to maintain a balanced budget.
Where to Find More Information
The primary source of information is the District website. Links to information about the District’s financial situation are below.
Information will also be shared with the community in a variety of ways, including but not limited to: email communications, X (Twitter), the District’s mobile app and local news media.
Please continue to stay connected to the District and encourage others to do so as well. Community members not directly connected to the District can sign up to receive email communications from the District by clicking here.
Questions about the survey, the proposed levy and the District’s financial situation can be directed to [email protected].
Sincerely,
Dr. Jim Fritz, Superintendent
Anthony Wayne Local Schools