To the editor:
The New Bremen Schools along with other local schools has been challenged by decreases in funding from the state of Ohio. Fortunately for New Bremen, we have a great community that has supported our schools with operating levies in the past. Our school has operated frugally over the years and additional cuts have been made along with way. We have improved operating efficiencies, saved on staffing as possible and looked for additional revenue sources.
In the last state budget, New Bremen Schools lost an important piece of our funding called the tangible personal property tax (TPP). The TPP generated approximately $500,000 for our district each year. By further reducing expenses, we were able to have a surplus of $36,000 last school year. With the mild winter, we are projecting to be in a similar position this year. However, state funding is projected to further decrease by $250,000 each year while our operating costs will increase. We project deficit spending over the next five years to the point where our funds would be depleted. The board and administration are trying to be proactive in our plans.
We would like to clarify some misconceptions about our current status. In the fall, the New Bremen School Board asked (Superintendent) Dr. (Andrea) Townsend to explore reducing the number of principals from three to two as part of our solution to save nearly $600,000 over a five-year period. This savings would further delay the need for an operating levy request to approximately 2022. We also asked Dr. Townsend to determine how coverage would work with two principals, including the possibility of her covering the high school. As we found this option to not be feasible, we feel the best direction for the school would be K-6 and 7-12 grade principals.
We has a board have reviewed the option of reducing our principal staff. We have decided this cut needs further examination and would not take place for the 2017-2018 school year. We will continue to look at all of our options to best utilize our resources.
Our long-term vision for the district includes being located on one campus. This capital project would allow for cost savings in staffing, allow a greater selection of classes for our students and reduce our maintenance needs. We are asking for your support on May 2 to make this happen. We further strive to increase our STEM programs and improve post-graduation readiness of our students. In this process we will not lose our student-first mentality.
Thomas Paul, president
on behalf of the New Bremen Local Schools Board of Education
