PERRYSBURG – If the school district’s levy fails next month, the district will lose $13.5 million and will be faced with making cuts in staff and programming.
The board of education held what Superintendent Tom Hosler called a “somber special meeting” on Tuesday to discuss the future of the school district and post-election plans.
Hosler reviewed the cost of the district’s eight-year incremental levy, which is on the Nov. 5 ballot, and what will happen if it fails.
He said this issue is to fund operations by replacing an expiring levy and is not a bond issue for a new school. Funds will be used for day-to-day operations such as keeping the lights on, buses on the road and staff in the buildings.
If it fails, $13.5 million won’t be collected next year.
Even if the request passes in 2025, collection won’t start until January 2026 and the district will still be out those funds, he said.
“That money is gone and won’t come back,” Hosler said.
For the 2025-2026 school year, the district is proposing pulling $5.7 million from its cash reserves and cutting spending by $6 million in order to cover the $13.5 million shortfall.
“That will be devastating to the district,” Hosler said.
The impact of the proposed cuts would mean:
• Increased class sizes due to a hiring freeze, meaning fewer teachers as more students enter the district
• Reduction of clubs and activities K-12
• No gifted education services (625 students received services last year). By law, the district is not required to provide these services.
• Reduced ability to help students with mental health needs with a cut in counselors.
• Reduction of performing arts staff districtwide, resulting in doubling class sizes and reduction of concerts and performances
• Higher caseloads for staff serving students on individual education plans
• No freshman sports and the reduction of 12 assistant coaches at the high school
• No field trips
• No tech staff to help with laptop repairs and fewer staff available to support students
• Reduced responsiveness to families and community
• Reduction in mailed communications to the community
• No buses for Perrysburg High School students who live within two miles of the school
The Perrysburg Heights Community Center Reading Program, which serves 50-60 students, will be cut as would preschool supplies.
Extracurricular participation fees will go from $75 to $150 per student, with the maximum per student raised to $300 and max per family increased to $450.
Hosler said these cuts were a collaboration with the people who work closely with the students.
Treasurer Randy Drewyor said with 85% of the district’s $79 million budget being used for personnel, there are going to be cuts in the area of staffing.
“That’s just a fact,” he said.
There will be salary freeze for administrators and exempted staff as well as the loss of 15 employees in the central office.
Sixty staff positions will be cut districtwide.
The high school will lose teachers for industrial arts, Spanish, reading and American sign language as well as a building secretary and monitors.
Intervention specialists will be cut districtwide.
The junior high will lose an assistant principal; Hull Prairie Intermediate will lose a secretary; and the elementary schools will lose two classroom teachers and three assistant librarians.
“This is what $6 million in reductions looks like,” said board member Sue Larimer.
It is an assumption at this point in time, Drewyor said.
We need to make our case to the community that this hurts students, he said.
Hosler spoke for nearly 90 minutes before opening the meeting up to board comments.
“Any time you talk about reducing services to student is painful,” said board member Lori Reffert.
She said people need to understand this is a state issue, proven by the fact that 23% of districts statewide have an operating levy on the ballot in November.
Board member Laura Meinke said it was important not to alienate parents and voters who will see these proposed reductions as threats.
“This isn’t a threat, it’s a reality,” Reffert said. “This is going to be painful if it doesn’t pass.”
She encouraged voters to get the facts before deciding. Levy information, including the costs and all potential reductions, is on the district’s website.
Board President Eric Benington said he wanted to serve on the board to better the educational experience in the district, not to walk backward.
The positions outlined in Hosler’s presentation “are people who work very hard for our students,” he said.
“Depending on how Nov. 5 goes, this is the position this board is going to be put in,” he said.
The eight-year incremental levy, which will replace an expiring levy, will have a growth of $2 million per year after its initial collection of $13.54 million.
The levy will help the district maintain a positive cash balance and keep it from asking for more money through 2030-31.
“It provides the funds when we need it,” Hosler said.
It would start at 11.19 mills and end in 2031 at 19.83 mills – however that amount will drop as the community grows.
Hosler used the example of a $100 pizza. Ten people will pay $10 to share the pizza, but 14 people will pay $7.14 each.
It would cost a homeowner with a home assessed at $200,000 an additional $8.40 per month. In 2031, the owner of that $200,000 should expect to pay $385 for the year.
If the levy fails, the district will deficit spend $4.85 million in fiscal year 2025 – if it makes no cuts.
“We want to be very transparent and honest with the community,” Hosler said after the meeting. “People need to know what they’re voting on and what will happen if they cast a no vote and what the district will do.
“This isn’t a threat. We have a $13.5 million hole that we need to fill and here is the blueprint of how we will do that,” he said.
Meinke voted against the resolution outlining the post 2024 election plan.
She said after the meeting she wants to see a list format with monetary values for all proposed reductions.
