PRESENTED CUTS
Forest Hills School District is currently looking at two possible phases of reductions in connection with the May 2, 2023 combination levy request.
PHASE 1 — $750,000
(Regardless of levy pass/fail)
Phase 1 contains approximately $750,000 in immediate reductions that will be implemented at the end of the 2022-2023 school year.
Central Office Positions — $300,000 Reduction |
Elimination of one Central Office Administrator and two secondary Learning Design Specialists. |
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Secondary Certified Staff — $243,000 Reduction |
Elimination of three full-time teaching positions through retirements and resignations. The three areas where reductions have been identified are ELA, science and world language. |
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Elementary Certified Staff — $162,000 Reduction |
Elimination of two support roles through retirements and resignations. The two support positions that will be reduced during Phase 1 are an English as a Second Language (ESL) teacher and a Reading Specialist. |
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Building Budgets — $15,000 Reduction |
Each building will implement a 2.5% reduction in its overall budget |
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Summer School Staff — $20,000 Reduction |
Reduction of staff members |
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Preschool Tuition Increase — $162,000 Revenue Increase |
FHSD Preschool Tuition is increasing $308 per student |
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PHASE 2 — $1.6 MILLION
(If the levy does NOT pass)
Phase 2 contains approximately $1.6 million in reductions that will need to take place prior to the start of the 2023-2024 school year. The amount of reductions in this phase is based on current levels of deficit spending and what would be necessary to delay a potential negative cash balance.
Teaching Positions — $882,000 Reduction |
Reduction of as many as 15 certified staff positions. |
2 Case Coordinators: Less responsive oversight to special education programs and services. Impact on other administrative responsibilities (discipline and supervision, testing, scheduling etc.) that may not receive the same level of attention. |
3 Elementary Gifted Specialists: Three remaining Gifted Specialists will support two buildings each. Pull-out Gifted instruction will happen less often across all elementary schools with potential reduction in grade level model. |
3 Elementary Media Specialists: Reduced certified instructional time related to media, innovation, STEM and digital citizenship. The three reductions are offset by support roles needed to supervise students on a rotation model. |
1 K-12 Music Teacher: Reduced opportunities for instruction in music performance at the elementary level. Impact on class sizes, course offerings in music programs at the secondary level. |
3 Elementary Reading Specialists: Reduced access to reading intervention for students. Increased caseload for remaining Reading Specialists. |
3 Secondary Teaching Positions: Increase in average class size for math, social studies and world language courses at both high schools. Some teachers will need to travel between AHS and THS to balance offerings. |
Pay-To-Participate Fees — $344,000 Revenue Increase |
Increase Pay-to-Participate fees for athletics, band, add Pay-to-Participate fee for theater (Revenue increase, not a cost avoidance) |
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Transportation — $400,000 Reduction |
Reduction of bus operators, routes and corresponding maintenance/fuel costs |
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Anderson & Turpin Current: 8:00 a.m. - 2:40 p.m. New: 7:35 a.m. - 2:15 p.m. Nagel Current: 8:30 a.m. - 3:15 p.m. New: 8:10 a.m. - 2:55 p.m. Elementary Early (Sherwood*, Summit, Wilson) Current: 9:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. New: 8:55 a.m. - 3:25 p.m. Elementary Late (Ayer, Maddux, Mercer) Current: 9:15 a.m. - 3:45 p.m. New: 9:25 a.m. - 3:55 p.m. *Arrival/dismissal times for FHSD Preschool at Sherwood are TBD. |
Why is FHSD planning reductions in coordination with a levy?
Forest Hills School District believes it is important to be financially responsible and manage taxpayer dollars well. For that reason, Superintendent Larry Hook and Treasurer Alana Cropper are looking to make between $750,000 and $1 million in reductions by the end of the 2022-2023 school year. The majority of those reductions will be made through attrition by analyzing the current pool of staff retirements and resignations and strategically adjusting next year’s staffing to meet educational standards with fewer people. These measures will ensure FHSD is operating in an efficient and productive manner while still maintaining the high-quality education that students, parents and this community have come to expect.
The district is committed to tightening its belt in order to do what must be done to maintain its facilities and provide an excellent education to all students. Superintendent Hook provided a detailed overview of the district’s finances at the October 2022 board meeting where, based on quotes for various projects, he explained that the cost to address the most significant physical problems with district properties is expected to be $5-5.5 million. Passing this proposed levy would not provide enough funding to address all of the current needs, but it will allow FHSD to begin chipping away at the most critical projects and create a plan to meet additional needs over time.
The district is committed to tightening its belt in order to do what must be done to maintain its facilities and provide an excellent education to all students. Superintendent Hook provided a detailed overview of the district’s finances at the October 2022 board meeting where, based on quotes for various projects, he explained that the cost to address the most significant physical problems with district properties is expected to be $5-5.5 million. Passing this proposed levy would not provide enough funding to address all of the current needs, but it will allow FHSD to begin chipping away at the most critical projects and create a plan to meet additional needs over time.
Why do school districts rely on levies in the first place?
Ohio’s school funding model is designed in such a way that local taxpayers share the burden with the state to fund public education. Ohio law known as House Bill 920 also protects homeowners and residents from facing inflationary increases as property values increase. This means when property values increase, the effective tax rate in a district can decrease because only the amount approved by voters can be collected. As a result, most school districts across the state ask voters for tax levies every few years in order to maintain normal operations.
According to the five-year forecast, FHSD actually entered deficit spending this year and this will result in a negative cash balance by 2026 if the trend is not stabilized. The district cannot operate in deficit spending. This means FHSD would be required by law to implement significant budget reductions. While the Board of Education has not yet reviewed that potential budget, it is common for districts in this position to increase class sizes and student fees (both co-curricular and extracurricular) and decrease the district’s ability to offer certain extracurricular opportunities to students.
According to the five-year forecast, FHSD actually entered deficit spending this year and this will result in a negative cash balance by 2026 if the trend is not stabilized. The district cannot operate in deficit spending. This means FHSD would be required by law to implement significant budget reductions. While the Board of Education has not yet reviewed that potential budget, it is common for districts in this position to increase class sizes and student fees (both co-curricular and extracurricular) and decrease the district’s ability to offer certain extracurricular opportunities to students.
What happens if this levy passes?
If the levy passes, FHSD will be able to continue providing a high quality educational experience that is in line with the district’s commitment to excellence and to its students. Forest Hills has seen considerable success in recent years, including two top-ranking high schools in Ohio and all elementary schools earning the “Hall of Fame” status. The district has also demonstrated excellence in STEM, earned national recognition for music education and has been singled out for achievement in PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports). All of this has been accomplished with students, staff and community safety top of mind in FHSD’s partnerships with local law enforcement and emergency personnel. These accolades and accomplishments are only possible due to the generous support of community members and taxpayers. This levy is expected to provide stable funding for three years.
Take a look at FHSD’s 2022-2023 Quality Profile for more information about the district’s commitment to students and performance in the classroom.
Additionally, permanent improvement funds would allow the district to begin repairing major systems and maintaining the current facilities in the district to avoid more costly repairs in the future. Our school buildings belong to our community and their longevity and ability to serve our students for decades to come is impacted by our ability to address ongoing and routine maintenance and systems.
Take a look at FHSD’s 2022-2023 Quality Profile for more information about the district’s commitment to students and performance in the classroom.
Additionally, permanent improvement funds would allow the district to begin repairing major systems and maintaining the current facilities in the district to avoid more costly repairs in the future. Our school buildings belong to our community and their longevity and ability to serve our students for decades to come is impacted by our ability to address ongoing and routine maintenance and systems.
What happens if this levy fails?
If this levy does not pass, FHSD will need to consider immediate and significant budget reductions (DETAILED IN PHASE 2 ABOVE) in order to avoid a projected negative cash balance. According to the five-year-forecast, the district is already operating in deficit spending and a negative cash balance is projected to occur by 2026 if the trend is not stabilized. This means FHSD would be required by law to implement significant budget reductions. While the Board of Education has not yet reviewed that potential budget, it is common for districts in this position to increase class sizes and students fees (both co-curricular and extracurricular) and decrease the district’s ability to offer certain extracurricular opportunities to students.
WHAT CAN I DO?
Anyone can vote from home via absentee ballot and ensure your voice is heard! Recently graduated students can request absentee ballots too. EVERY vote matters!
VOTE YES for our teachers, our students, our community!
VOTE YES for our teachers, our students, our community!
REQUEST IT: Registered voters, download an application form and return via mail.
RETURN IT: You will receive your ballot in the mail after April 3. Complete the absentee ballot, then return by mail. It must be postmarked by May 1 in order to be counted.
RETURN IT: You will receive your ballot in the mail after April 3. Complete the absentee ballot, then return by mail. It must be postmarked by May 1 in order to be counted.
Early in-person voting starts April 4th.
Hamilton County Board of Elections
4700 Smith Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45212
8am to 4pm (Mon - Fri)
Hamilton County Board of Elections
4700 Smith Road
Cincinnati, Ohio 45212
8am to 4pm (Mon - Fri)