Middletown Forum : Middletown Schools: No tax hike

Middletown Schools: No tax hike : Great news! As a parent of 5th...

Fri, 20 May 2016 13:08:36 +0000

Author: Joshua
Subject: 6332
Posted: May 20 2016 at 1:08pm

Great news! As a parent of 5th and 7th grade students in Middletown City Schools I couldn't be more proud.

Middletown Schools: No tax hike : Urso:"â€œI feel good about...

Fri, 20 May 2016 11:37:39 +0000

Author: VietVet
Subject: 6332
Posted: May 20 2016 at 11:37am

Urso:

"“I feel good about the numbers and where we are,” Middletown Board of Education President Chris Urso said after the presentation. “You always want to make sure you are using the taxpayers’ dollars as responsibly as possible.”"

But are we using the taxpayer dollars responsibly? Different ways to look at that statement.

From a "benefits the school's monetary need" standpoint.....perhaps.

From a taxpayer return on investment standpoint.....maybe not. We are constantly taxed for operating levies, continuing levies, emergency levies and for bond money to build their new schools for them. ....but what are we getting for our money? The elementary schools built several years ago should tell us something about return on investment. They get new schools, they get operating money for salaries, etc. We get....what, as a result? Decades old low indicator numbers. Decades old, bottom tier test scores. Bottom rated level when compared to the surrounding school districts. A non-quality school system that turns potential new residents off to locate in Middletown. A high turnover rate in teachers where we are constantly losing our more experienced teachers to the Lakota's, Lebanon's and Springboro's of the school districts while constantly hiring new, younger teachers, so that they too, can use their Middletown experience as a stepping stone to bigger and better things for their careers.

The finances may be as mentioned by the Treasurer and there may be reason to "feel good about the numbers" as Urso states. But, all is not rosy and wonderful in the district on many other fronts. We still have a major performance problem and have had for decades. That can't be satisfying to many who pay into the system and have seen no improvement for many years. The excuses for not performing are wearing mighty thin.

Middletown Schools: No tax hike : Posted: 12:00 a.m. Friday, May...

Fri, 20 May 2016 10:38:19 +0000

Author: Vivian Moon
Subject: 6332
Posted: May 20 2016 at 10:38am

Posted: 12:00 a.m.Friday, May 20, 2016

Middletown Schools: No tax hike through 2020

ByMichael D. Clark

Staff Write

MIDDLETOWN — Taxpayersin Middletownwon’t see a school tax hike through 2020, school officials said Thursday.

Thenews was part of a five-year financial forecast for Middletown Schools during aspecial meeting of the school board.

Twicea year — in October and May — each of Ohio’s 613 public school districts arerequired by law to provide the state with five-year financial projections thatshow the school systems will maintain solvency.

Middletown’slatest projections show slight improvement from October’s and more importantlycontinue a strong trend in recent years of increasing financial health for thecity schools, Randy Bertram, Middletown Schools treasurer, told the schoolboard’s leadership.

Costsare down and the district’s bond rating from Moody’s private evaluation of Middletown’s finances hasimproved from a grade of “A minus stable” to “A minus positive.”

Moreover,said Bertram, whereas most Ohio districtsspend from 70 percent to 80 percent on labor costs, Middletown is at 37 percent due to years ofcost reductions, early retirement buyouts and outsourcing services, includingmaintenance and busing.

“Thestaffing numbers are way down due to the cuts and the new staff we’re hiring …came in at a much cheaper price,” he said.

Middletown’s annual operatingbudget is $75 million this school year and will drop to $71.3 million for the2016-2017 school year. No budget shortfall is projected until 2020, when a$381,000 deficit in forecast, according to Bertram.

Priorto that year, the district is projected to have operating budget surplusesdecreasing annually from $3.9 million in 2016 to $725,000 in 2019.

“It’sgood to know we are on the right track and things are certainly lookingbetter,” said Bertram, who also pointed out the state’s most recent bienniumbudget has been more generous with education funding for Middletown compared to previous stateallotments.

Votershere last decided on a school tax hike when in May 2014 they barely approved a$55 million bond issue combined with a 0.26-mill permanent improvement levy.Such levy monies are not used for operational budgets but for infrastructure,and the district is building a new middle schooland renovating its high school.

“Ifeel good about the numbers and where we are,” Middletown Board of EducationPresident Chris Urso said after the presentation. “You always want to make sureyou are using the taxpayers’ dollars as responsibly as possible.”