BOE approves deficit projection

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FORT LORAMIE — During their Oct. 20 regular meeting, members of the Fort Loramie Local Schools Board of Education approved a five-year forecast that projects the district will run out of funds in five years.

“We are in deficit spending mode and have been for several years,” states the executive summary of the 25-page forecast provided the board by Treasurer Deb Meyer. “Wisely, we had built our cash balance when were at our peak in revenue collections, rather than spending the excess. Now, we are eating into that cash balance. However, it is not enough to sustain us long-term. So, unless something turns around in our income tax collections or the state funding, we will be looking at being on the ballot for some type of tax in 2019. We will continue to analyze our expenditures and cut where we can to stave off the inevitable. But it will be coming.”

The forecast shows deficit spending in FY2016 of $673,432, leaving a balance of $4,555,354; deficit spending of $1,056,697 in FY2017, leaving a balance of $3,498,657; deficit spending in FY2018 of $1,323,447, leaving a balance of $2,175,210; deficit spending of $1,736,481 in FY2019, leaving a balance of $438,728; and deficit spending in FY2020 of $2,016,363, leaving the district in the red in the amount of $1,577,635.

Revenue is projected to remain flat.

In other business, the board:

• Heard reports by principals about the results of PAARC and AIR testing completed last spring and by the superintendent about completion of bus evacuation drills, the Wall of Honor ceremony and meetings with the Shelby County juvenile judge and Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Urbana, 4th District.

• Approved a remaining certificate of participation payment of $315,000 and $3,926.56 interest.

• Accepted donations of $25 from A&B Printing in support of the college fair and of $786 from community members in support of the Drama Club.

• Approved a change in the salary schedule of Jodi Wenning as a result of advanced training. Her salary was approved at $46,885.

• Approved employment of Mary Anthony, Paula Arnett, Abby Borges, Hayley Barhorst, Ernestine Daugherty and Shirley Umstead as kindergarten and first-grade tutors; Abby Lightle as Science Olympiad adviser at a salary of $1,953.06; of Marsha Hess as a Destination Imagination coach at a salary of $732.40; Lisa Holthaus and Greg Timmerman as Destination Imagination coaches salaries of $244.24 each; Stephanie Holthaus, Shiela Poeppelman and Kalee Scheer as Destination Imagination coaches at salaries of $488.27 each; and Julie Stricker as Destination Imagination coordinator at a salary of $569.64; and three substitute teachers at a rate of $80 per day each.

• Approved a fifth-grade field trip to Greenfield Village and travel by FCCLA to a National Cluster Meeting in November.

By Patricia Ann Speelman

[email protected]

Reach the writer at 937-538-4824. Follow her on Twitter @PASpeelmanSDN.

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