[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",5978017,"mediaKeyId","5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535","parentId",5855765,"title","Board hears concerns about statewide effort to abolish property tax and other pending bills that could hit school funding","audioSeconds",43,"startMs",3413000,"endMs",3456000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535&start=3413&end=3456","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535/thumbnail_3413000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/5978017/Ohio/Board-hears-concerns-about-statewide-effort-to-abolish-property-tax-and-other-pending-bills-that-could-hit-school-funding","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978017-e99969c3037fab1d1a2f3ccc0cb95637/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094754&Signature=iTX7H8AWn7O9SluN7TUenP3FTbVaZ-CK-kLHQWph-1XxeSJEee4coXhTAI250XNNPhT4XYmviuTxHavs7Crl5bdL~TV4LIr9KsM57X0ObXi-0isXZhpcQBXYg1ctyMNl~DN0UL3VUD7tOE0Is84kFhc5Lg26oeMrywdzhQj33oWigOoI2h2JeOVyc0pq~JkdPKlLC8bLGr1E782srdmm6MGC9GDDHNZ5NLfhb81ur7MQaiD4Qpf~fcREVg0lTcHwXgbFDLoc4PgIi2xksfBh~Ma~bWEm6T9rH8oDdKrFRMQzHOhUyWbBwd-wTTgdsXQ4mAqm2ahjNw9F1Q7IwoittQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Ross Local School District","date","2025-09-19T13:38:18Z","article","Board members discussed state-level measures that could significantly affect local school funding, including a petition initiative believed likely to appear on the ballot to eliminate property taxes.

During the legislative-report discussion a board speaker said the petition drive \"is believed it will be on the ballot, and that's that's scary, because it's pulling at, like, 61% in favor right now with no plan of how to replace that income.\" Board members noted many local entities rely on property-tax levies, including school districts, libraries, townships, police and fire departments, and said there is no clear replacement funding plan from proponents.

Board members also referenced ongoing state activity including a governor-appointed committee and partisan dynamics in Columbus that could affect how or whether the committee recommendations are acted on. One board member warned that the governor \"is almost being treated as a leper\" in Columbus and described an uncertain political environment that could lead to reenactment of vetoed bills depending on the legislature’s makeup.

In addition to property-tax concerns the board cited House Bill 186 as another pending item to watch, saying it could change what counts toward the 20-mill floor for certain levies and might reduce local revenue in the future. The legislative report concluded with a broad admonition to follow candidates and legislative language closely because changes could be enacted that affect local school funding.

No board action was taken; the discussion was a heads-up for administrators and the community to monitor state developments and prepare advocacy or contingency plans if proposals advance.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Ross Local School Board Meeting - September 18, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","During the legislative report the board was warned that a petition-driven ballot measure to eliminate property tax is likely to be on the ballot and polling shows strong support without a replacement funding plan; members said the move could harm schools, libraries, police and fire services.","taxTitle","Ross Local, School Districts, Ohio","taxId",55757,"location","Ohio","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5978023,"Board adopts resolution to realign grades and repurpose Ross Intermediate School; officials cite $600,000 minimum staffing savings",273,3025000,3298000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535&start=3025&end=3298","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535/thumbnail_3025000.jpg","/articles/5978023/Ohio/Board-adopts-resolution-to-realign-grades-and-repurpose-Ross-Intermediate-School-officials-cite-600000-minimum-staffing-savings","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978023-122feb30118aff4f94bdc6f86b5bc711/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094754&Signature=agp-fEGzSkiSgHJAcgMSSzEsdWwQOIU-qkhsU2Op~4dt61lTg8r-dpj0UAZR2ieDed-lgsjdFwgBBFNfuh3Q1Exht6c4qrzVHnHTdaUJ~GQNwsENHGTfBCnu5nIlOaqcN6Df0bEyEihAfFX9k0M4GmTlPCCJLFSdB7x7u6dSuHEm~LWsyuH2K7KdJN5FgKpLKgZJNS0JLu-mjoArJIAQI6nyh0gtz~cWj4HoBQgS0VQ03sRW~oq6bQjO0Twb5-S4cuSHiV~QcxAMYV7XT2CV2yV7ga5OECYRADIY7sFl5~84M0G8d4QQqrz-EwvexdjqC9fWRyDP53Z-vHMEmRjkIQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ross Local School District Board of Education voted unanimously Wednesday to adopt a resolution to realign grade bands and repurpose Ross Intermediate School (RIS).

Superintendent Dr. Bill Rice presented the plan and read the resolution that the board adopted. The resolution directs that fourth-grade students return to Elder Elementary School and Morgan Elementary School and that fifth-grade students return to Ross Middle School, restoring the grade-band alignment that existed before RIS opened. It also directs that the district’s centralized enrollment office and data center be transitioned to administrative offices at the RIS building and authorizes the superintendent and treasurer to take steps to implement and communicate the changes.

Rice said he had held multiple listening sessions and met with staff and parent organizations over the past month and reported \"0 negative feedback\" from those sessions, though he acknowledged parents expressed concern and anxiety about what housing fifth graders in a middle school looks like. He said middle-school administrators, including Mr. Rettinger, are prepared for the transition.

The superintendent emphasized expected savings: \"it's a minimum savings of $600,000 in staffing, salary, and benefits,\" he said, and noted additional potential savings in utilities, transportation and facility redesign over time.

The resolution includes authority for district leaders to explore agreements with outside educational service centers or providers to use additional classroom or facility space as needed and cites compliance with public-meeting requirements. The board took the vote after the superintendent read the resolution; the roll call on the motion was recorded as all board members voting yes.

Following the vote, board members thanked administrators for community engagement. The resolution took effect immediately upon adoption, and staff are authorized to notify families and begin implementation tasks.

The board’s decision will affect building assignments, staffing and transportation planning for the coming school year; administrators told the board they will communicate timelines and details to families and staff as implementation steps are finalized.","The Ross Local School District board voted unanimously to realign grade bands, moving fourth graders back to their elementary schools and fifth graders to the middle school, and to transition Ross Intermediate School (RIS) facilities to administrative use and enrollment services.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5978028,"Ross Local Schools kept high rankings amid new state report-card component; early literacy flagged as area for focus",1477,1455000,2932000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535&start=1455&end=2932","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535/thumbnail_1455000.jpg","/articles/5978028/Ohio/Ross-Local-Schools-kept-high-rankings-amid-new-state-report-card-component-early-literacy-flagged-as-area-for-focus","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978028-013c02eef567f6d6cc561250872fd3b9/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094754&Signature=K9Zc1UE0KvKvaqCn3iB5EOsORsPiuNhCVpu6E7jYKGk~iAF-bjPwzhJTr88BZySYN3FqzWNDUpIpxNvmbx7zyNKPACFuFHbgtOWFYXI4gVjkXtfwqtMdemVkNXCwjqSiSaLC73Cf1CA3Ax2ITb5Ccyo8XJNEba~YwPUKresSzzU-PRgaUp8Ex6BDx0ezxJftBY7DJrw7G4~F0tSJ5nVVTH1zUjJzM4AqntTnK8IOOvIXZiLnMaSQGeM0GR70PzdorjSJ3bxAjHvy8kf-EPLV91XvmCNmAcEylQPoKKDvY9ozFUbZa0R2kz1hMrAaSqWM7lcorW3yXVjn6lp1Z4WsRg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Ross Local School District board received its state report-card presentation Wednesday and heard administrators describe steady academic performance across the district, new areas of accountability and steps the district is taking to improve early literacy and career readiness.

Evelyn (presenter) told the board the district \"actually received 3 stars\" on the overall report card after the state added a new college, career, workforce and military readiness (CCWMR) component worth 12.5 percent of the total. \"For year 1 of never being rated on this component, I'm really proud of that,\" she said.

Districtwide, Ross ranked 88th out of 608 Ohio school districts — placing it roughly in the top 15 percent statewide — and was the highest-performing district in Butler County, the presenter said. Specific building results included Morgan Elementary and two other buildings earning 5-star ratings; the district highlighted Morgan Elementary as having the highest performance index (PI) in the county.

Administrators explained how the report-card components are calculated: achievement and progress are the largest components at 25 percent; several other components — including CCWMR, gap closing, early literacy, and graduation measures — are each 12.5 percent. The CCWMR component counts a range of indicators, including ACT remediation-free scores; Evelyn said high participation alone will not secure points if students do not meet remediation-free thresholds.

The district’s performance index (PI) stood at about 89.3 percent for the measured component, \"which is 0.7% away from 5 stars,\" the presenter said, and noted the district’s steady multi-year PI gains. She also detailed that early literacy declined because the improving K–3 literacy component was not calculated last year; this year it opened because under the state rule the district’s kindergarten-on-track rate fell into the high 80s rather than the 90 percent threshold needed to omit the component.

The board heard specifics about kindergarten screening and interventions: students identified as \"off track\" in K–3 are placed on a Reading Improvement Monitoring Plan (RIMP), and the district has extended RIMP monitoring through sixth grade for cohorts who began the program earlier. Evelyn said the district is purchasing touchscreen Chromebooks for kindergarteners and expanding intervention and MTSS (Multi-Tiered System of Supports) to improve on-track rates.

The presentation also highlighted the district’s graduation measures (four- and five-year rates) and new partnerships to boost workforce opportunities. The district has joined the Greater Cincinnati Business Advisory Council through the Hamilton County Educational Service Center to support internships and career experiences for juniors and seniors.

Board members praised the staff and asked clarifying questions about how local assessments relate to state tests; administrators said local MAP results are used to project likely Ohio State Test (OST) outcomes via correlation reports but OST scores determine the state report card metrics.

No formal action was required; administrators said they will continue to monitor K–3 readiness, expand targeted interventions and pursue partnerships and staffing (including a gifted intervention specialist) to support MTSS and CCWMR goals.","District officials told the board that Ross Local Schools received three stars overall on the Ohio report card, ranked 88th of 608 districts and that early literacy (K–3) slipped because kindergarten readiness fell below the prior-year threshold.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},5978032,"Board approves fall financial forecast; treasurer warns long-term deficits if state funding changes",3551,293000,3844000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535&start=293&end=3844","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5855765-0d69d66e432b7bf806eb37218f224535/thumbnail_293000.jpg","/articles/5978032/Ohio/Board-approves-fall-financial-forecast-treasurer-warns-long-term-deficits-if-state-funding-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/5978032-569193b48df7a8a0b5edc6d8101726fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1775094754&Signature=ijKv9ApzgYtwm3xG0fxkR-lCOycLCSgp8NXoRbVB39aXQzpGwy-OaMqMP~h1OrL3IMaekbbK5YTqZ4HbknE-aXUoZmIUmPgWtgZFai3o1KbWQFVVLjE0SfWRd7~fjN-BPpq3GS2ex5KUwmTBA5BI-P~U~9tMAP8QMjVD54r6usHC8WLIVl-3kE5zbkmDXZo6gqeBLKYO9erQMj05vV~E6J8LBiMHs4y0BtMO3mZoLl8J5NCMSwmsa0d8jYg6j5l5D-5JnNXE0qJCmbCbS69xy5t20kAhTdFHgGHCB67Od0ZqQVwrHyNNbx-8w2svi4YPvKHMcaqAkY4UNIIdgOtvhA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Ross Local School District trustees on Wednesday approved the district’s fall financial forecast and associated permanent appropriations after a presentation from district finance staff showing modest surpluses in the near term but growing deficits in later years.

Treasurer Steve Kaciner presented the forecast, telling the board this is a legal filing: \"This is a legal requirement where the board must submit an approved 3 year forecast now in August and February of each fiscal year... because this is the first year of the new law that gave us until the October to submit the first forecast, it has to be filed by October 15,\" he said. Kaciner summarized the district’s revenue and expense assumptions and the numbers that will be submitted to the county budget commission.

The forecast shows projected revenue of about $33.8 million and projected expenditures of about $32.919 million, with roughly $26 million of that for personnel services. Kaciner said the district expects an approximately $860,000 surplus in the current year and about $750,000 the following year; by later years in the forecast the district is projected to run deficits and the ending cash balance begins to decline from a projected roughly $9.5 million.

Kaciner pointed to three primary revenue streams: property tax, income tax and state foundation funding. He told the board the district has experienced enrollment declines — roughly a loss of 600 students compared with nine years ago — which drives state funding through average daily membership (ADM) calculations. He also warned that a change at the state level removing the funding \"guarantee\" would be damaging: \"If that happens, that would be the crisis in our district,\" he said.

Kaciner also listed notable assumptions that built the forecast: a 2.5 percent baseline salary increase assumption for fiscal 2027–2030, step increases that typically cost about 2.1 percent annually, and a locked electricity rate of 6.29 cents per kilowatt-hour that he said had saved the district about $1,520,000. He noted staffing reductions already made earlier this year and cautioned that legislative changes to property tax or state funding could materially change the projection.

After the presentation the board approved, in a block vote, the permanent appropriations resolution the district will file with the county budget commission, the amended certificate of estimated resources and the fall forecast. The roll call vote on the forecast and the block of fiscal items was recorded as unanimous.

Board members asked a few timing questions about the changed submission dates to state and county authorities; Kaciner confirmed the district will follow the new filing timetable and submit the forecast by the stated deadline.

The approved forecast will be filed with the Butler County Budget Commission as required; staff noted the board will continue monitoring legislative proposals that could alter property-tax and state school funding and will return to the board if assumptions must be revised.

Less urgent budget items such as the district’s cash-balance strategy and forthcoming policy work were discussed in committee but did not alter the forecast vote.

What’s next: the treasurer will file the forecast and appropriations with the county budget commission by the October 15 deadline and bring any necessary revisions to future board meetings if state action or material local changes require it.","The Ross Local School District board approved its fall financial forecast and permanent appropriations after a presentation showing small surpluses for the next two years but projected deficits later in the five-year outlook and risks tied to state-level funding changes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board hears concerns about statewide effort to abolish property tax and other pending bills that could hit school funding

Board adopts resolution to realign grades and repurpose Ross Intermediate School; officials cite $600,000 minimum staffing savings

Ross Local Schools kept high rankings amid new state report-card component; early literacy flagged as area for focus

Board approves fall financial forecast; treasurer warns long-term deficits if state funding changes