PEMBERVILLE – Eastwood Local Schools has received more in property taxes and pipeline revenue so far this year than expected.
At Monday’s board of education meeting, Treasurer Brad McCracken reported that $103,000 had been collected from delinquent property taxes.
He said he usually doesn’t include such payments in the forecast because some years it can be zero.
“To get $100,000 in one shot is quite a bit more than normal,” McCracken said after the meeting.
He said the NEXUS pipeline, which decided to pay only 33% of its valuation, made a full-year payment of $680,000, which is about $252,000 more than was expected.
However, that means the July/August payment will likely be zero when $340,000 would have been expected, McCracken said.
He has been budgeting pipeline payments at 38% of the original valuation (minus annual depreciation), or about $768,000 per calendar year.
If the pipeline paid for its full valuation, it would be $2 million per calendar year, McCracken said.
“They’re not paying anything near their valuation,” he said.
He said while the payment will mean an uptick in this year’s forecast, the downside is the negative impact in next year’s budget assuming there is no additional payment for the mid-summer property tax collection.
Karen Brown, food service director, reported that free meals will expire June 30 and the district will begin charging for meals with the next school year.
“That’s going to create some havoc,” McCracken said, and explained there is no guidance on how to price items. “We don’t know what the rules are, nobody does.”
Brown also said the USDA is providing funds to offset food supply chain issues: $5,000 will be give to each school that applies plus an additional $16 per student, as long as funds last.
Also at the meeting, the board:
• Commended Samantha Sibbersen for being chosen April Student of the Month; and Calvin Price, Ian Sander, Eric Sander and AJ O’Brien as state qualifiers in swimming.
• Held a public hearing on the issue of the retire/rehire of Donna Schuessler for the 2022-23 school year. No comments were received.
• Approved an administrative contract for Jeff Hill, effective Aug. 1, 2023, to continue as athletic director.
• Accepted letters of resignation from Todd Henline as head boys basketball coach, effective March 21; and Nick Schmeltz as head girls basketball coach, effective April 18.
• Approve the 2023-24 school calendar, which has the first day of school on Aug. 23, 2023; spring break from March 25-29, 2024; and the last day of school on May 31, 2024.
• Approved a maintenance agreement with Campbell Inc. effective May 1, in the amount of $28,680 to provide overall maintenance of district facilities.
