It had become a bi-annual tradition. As sure as the election cycle itself, for the last six years, the Waterloo Local School District put a levy question on the ballot. And all 13 attempts, residents turned them down.
Meanwhile, the school district has slowly atrophied, peeling away educational offerings, eliminating extra-curricular activities, laying off (and scaring off) teachers and even ending bus service for high schoolers.
But higher-than-expected tax receipts and cost-cutting have left the district with a projected surplus, the district announced earlier this month in a press release. To demonstrate “fiscal responsibility and transparency,” the district will not be asking Randolph and Atwater voters for a tax increase on the May 3 ballot.
The celebration is already clouded, however: They project a deficit of $2.3 million for 2025 and anticipate a new levy on the November ballot.
Below is the full announcement from Waterloo schools:
Residents in Atwater and Randolph will not see a levy on the ballot in the upcoming May election. Cost reduction efforts paired with increased funding after the tax reassessment by Portage County have left the district with better financial estimates than previously projected.
After failing levies 13 times in the past six years, the projected deficit for the 2024 fiscal year was $906,061. The district has not replaced staff members that recently retired and have maintained previous reductions in the area of electives. In addition, Portage County recently completed a triennial tax assessment and re-evaluated property values, which contributed to approximately $500,000 per year in additional funds. The new projection is to end fiscal year 2024 with an approximate balance of $114,000.
To maintain a high level of fiscal responsibility and transparency with all stakeholders in Atwater and Randolph, the board of education has chosen not to place a tax increase on the ballot in May. The district plans to use this time to continue to work to navigate the ever changing landscape of public-school funding while ensuring financial stability in the future.
Even though the projections for 2024 are bright, the projected deficit for 2025 is $2.3 million. Therefore, a tax issue is likely to be on the ballots in November of 2022, which if passed would take effect in January. When asked about the need for the levy Superintendent Terella stated, “I think it is important to note that the county conducted the reassessment on properties, not the school district. Even though I have been here a short time, it doesn’t take long to realize how special this district is. We are dependent on the support of the community to make further progress forward.”
Waterloo Local School District is a public school system located in Randolph and Atwater, Ohio. The district strives to cultivate academic excellence through high quality instruction and experience-based learning connecting students’ lives to their futures.
Ben Wolford is the editor and publisher of The Portager.
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