School District and BOE Meetings
Loveland Foundation
The Loveland BOE announced at the 1/10/23 meeting that they had formed a partnership with The Loveland Foundation that would allow donations to be accepted by the Foundation and sent directly to the School’s General fund without the school having to form it’s own non-profit for the same purpose.
Donations from those interested in and able to make the donations can be sent via PayPal to LovelandSchoolsFoundation@gmail.com or can be sent via check to The Loveland Schools Foundation at 757 S Lebanon Rd, Loveland, Oh 45140. ALL DONATIONS FOR THIS PURPOSE MUST BE MARKED EMERGENCY RELIEF FUND in in note or memo line.
Linda Slusher from The Foundation and Tara Hamilton for the Schools spearheaded this effort per the announcement.
Mr. Dougherty announced that he would be donating his 2022 earnings as a BOE member plus the additional property tax sought by the school from the 2022 failed levy.
For those willing and financially able to match his donation from the levy, look at your property tax bill for the total market value (left side of the bill about 5 inches from the top). Amount requested was $171.50 per $100,000 per year.
State Auditor YouTube and Powerpoint Presentation
On 1/10/23 at the Loveland School Board meeting the BOE invited a representative Dave Thompson from the Ohio State Auditor/Treasurer to give a presentation about the different levels of budget alerts for schools. I really recommend that everyone watch the meeting and take a look at the power point.
The Auditor has decades of experience working with local governments and schools. His presentation to the school board included the three main categories of "Fiscal Distress" which are Caution, Watch, and Emergency. There is also a preliminary category called pre-caution. Despite a member of the board asking several times if LCSD was approaching the Pre-Caution category, the auditor did not in any way indicate that was the case.
Bottom Line: Despite the school wanting us to believe otherwise, LCSD is not in any stage of fiscal distress. Please see the below presentation by Dave Thompson, and the corresponding slide deck. Listen to him closely, watch his face and body language, listen to him answer Kevin D’s questions. You will see there is time to find consensus. However, it seems we must vote No in May to get the BOE’s attention.... Again.
(1245) LCSD BoE Meeting 01-10-2023 - YouTube
Auditor of State Presentation 1.10.22.pptx (live.com) - On slide 15 addressing the "Watch" category, the 4th bullet should read "Declared if the forecasted general fund balance has a deficit greater than 8% of the general fund's revenues."
Other Points to note:
Although the Treasurer would like to see cash reserves at between 25% of the budget or 2-3 months average annual budget this is not a hard and fast rule or law. The local BOE can set this to any amount.
Throughout the Auditor’s presentation he uses the term deficit spending to refer not to a budget exceeding income for the year, but to having no cash balance and actually having to borrow to pay expenses.
The Auditor clarified that the local BOE is always responsible for the final decisions related to cuts and expenses. Even in the highest level of “EMERGENCY” when on oversight committee is established that they do not take over the local BOE. They advise the BOE.
The Auditor also made it clear that the State could not force a school tax increase.
The BOE can update their Five-Year-Forecast anytime they choose. The levy failed in early November...why has forecast not been updated to take out the $1.6 Million Dollar Contingency (what-if) fund, the 5 new certified staff, the HS bussing starting in FY23, and factor in the new Symmes TIF revenue of $400,000-$500,000 to revenues.
The auditor also said there is no “set” amount that must be in the reserves fund balance, and that they only look at that balance at the end of the school fiscal year, month-to-month is not too concerning. Some “best practices” advisors say 25% of annual expenditures should be the balance at the end of the fiscal year, but the auditor very firmly stated that sometimes this is not possible, and the balance could be as low as 5% or 10% and still not be a concern.
Hi then stated that there is a bigger picture. That problems arise through lack of budgetary control over time. Through the lack of resources to provide for both the basic requirements as well as the programs that the community as a whole wants and can afford to offer. He said there is a key to a successful budget.
”The key is to set a policy and do your best to keep the policy and keep the balances that are necessary. That takes thinning down, and making the budgetary decisions to make sure, that with the revenue you have coming in, you are able to maintain the balances that the policy sets.”
In other words, it takes discipline.
Our community has been asked three times now, do we want to fund LCSD in the manner that the LCSD leadership envisions. Three times, the vote has been No.
Find another way. Revamp the spending. Rework bloated programming and administration. Tighten the salaries and benefits package that sucks up 86% of the budget, to more reasonable levels. Have the discipline to make the tough decisions. Do the “thinning down”
Present a realistic Five-Year-Forecast that reflects the loss of the November levy, and shows the true spending and revenue trends for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Links from the Loveland City School District Treasurer
ARP ESSER III Detail as of 8-24-22
In January, 2023, the Treasurer responded to a Loveland taxpayer on his portal, with an updated November 5-year forecast. He claims he did not file it officially because it doesn't need to be filed. However, the new budget is substantially different with the addition of TIF money, the deletion of the high school bussing, and deletion of five FTE's.
LCSD_January_2023_Updated_Forecast.pdf