Bowling Green City Schools has lost more than 350 students in the last six years, and one graduate wants to know what will be done to reverse that trend.
Liberty Township resident Steve Bateson attended the Oct. 15 school board meeting with enrollment numbers for the district from 2019-20 to this school year.
“I want Bowling Green to succeed,” he said, “but we’re continuing to lose students.”
According to the documents he supplied, in the 2019-20 school year, the district enrolled 3,016 students. In the next six years, enrollment has dropped to 2,649 for the 2024-25 school year – 367 students less.
Parents have a choice, Bateson said, but “more has to be done than just opening our doors in August and expecting parents to enroll.”
We have to be able to compete and to explain to parents why Bowling Green City Schools is where they want to enroll their children, he said.
With the loss of students come the loss of revenue, he said.
The state pays between $5,400 and $5,500 per pupil, and if the district had kept even half of those students over the last three years, there would have been an additional $3 million in revenue, he said.
“That’s the challenge we’re faced with,” said Bateson, a 1986 Bowling Green graduate.
“I’m not here tonight to advocate not supporting the levy. I’m not here tonight to advocate supporting the levy. I’m here to point out how to fix this revenue stream,” he said.
The district is asking voters to support a 0.75% continuing income tax on Nov. 5.
The way to fix the drop in revenue is with students, said Bateson.
“You raise a good point,” said board member Ryan Myers. “We’ve heard those concerns about student loss.”
The trajectory of the district is going up with continuous academic improvement and during the past few years, the board has taken steps to take care of staff with salary increases, he said.
The communications department is “telling the story of all the awesome things going on,” he said.
“This is an incredible, incredible district,” Myers said.
But it is not a perfect district, he added, and leaders are going to tackle the areas of challenge.
“We’re doing different things and it’s starting to show,” Myers said.
Bateson reiterated a suggestion he made in June that, if the levy fails, the district should move future Rover pipeline payments from a capital improvement fund to the general fund to help shore up the district’s operating budget.
The district received $1.459 million from Rover in April, according to district Treasurer Matt Feasel.
A portion went to debt service, some was transferred to the turf maintenance fund and some went to the permanent improvement fund as required by law.The remaining $1.229 million was placed in the capital improvement fund, which has a current balance of $3.646 million, he said.
Also. at the meeting;
• Rachel Newell, executive director of teaching and learning, explained the 4.5 star rating the district earned on the most recent state report card.
The fact that only one district in Wood County got a higher score, the 4.5 shows a strong foundation for significant growth, she said.
• Myers reported there have been countless meetings and detailed planning sessions for the new high school.
There is a lot going on behind the scenes, he said.
Myers said Superintendent Ted Haselman and high school Principal Dan Black meet regularly with architects DLR and construction manager Rudolph Libbe.
• Haselman provided information on the 0.75% continuing income tax that will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.
Information on the tax request can be found on the district’s website at https://www.bgcs.k12.oh.us/.
• Board President Tracy Hovest provided building requests, including snacks including Goldfish, fruit snacks and granola bars for Kenwood Elementary; packaged snacks and boys bottoms, including underwear, size 5 and up for Conneaut Elementary; classroom snacks including Cheez-Its, Goldfish, fruit snacks and small bottled water for Crim Elementary; packaged snacks for the high school; and laundry detergent, cleaning products, body lotion, deodorant, hand soap, blankets, junior girls leggings and plain T-shirts, junior/adult sized underwear and socks, and boys size 5-10 bottoms, underwear and socks for Bobcat Basics at the middle school.
Donations can be made to each individual school or sent to the middle school with a note indicating where the donation should go. The district asks that all donations be new and that snacks do not contain nuts.
Free and reduced lunch applications need to be renewed every year. If a family is in need of free or reduced lunch, applications are available online at www.PaySchoolsCentral.com.
