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Madison Local officials say state budget changes will reduce district funding
Summary
Board members and staff said differences between the governor's and House budgets, and a proposed 30% property-tax carryover rule, would reduce state funding for Madison Local Schools and could complicate taxpayer communications.
Madison Local Schools board members were warned that proposed state budget changes and a suggested rule about property-tax carryovers could reduce the district's state funding and create communication challenges with taxpayers.
A district staff member said the proposed 30% property-tax carryback would require districts that have more than 30% carryover to return money to taxpayers but added, "We do not have that problem because we don't have a 30% carryover. Our problem will be explaining to taxpayers why we don't have property tax money to give back." The staff member said the governor's budget and the House budget start from different baseline numbers, which affected allocations to the district.
The staff member described the legislative calendar and expected steps: recesses, hearings in May, separate budgets from the House and Senate, and a conference committee with an anticipated June 30 deadline. They said, "So right now as it stands though, the governor's budget, we lose funding. The house budget, we lose funding. So either way, we lose funding. Lose. No. We get a little bit of funding in the house budget, but the input the governor's budget started with was higher."
Why it matters: reductions of "a couple $100,000 over 2 years of the budget," as the staff member reported, can affect staffing, programs, or capital spending if the board must revise projections. Board members asked why the House and governor's starting numbers differed; the staff member said their legislative liaison, Tony Patajone, told them many others were asking the same question.
Board members did not take a formal vote on any district action tied to the state budget during the meeting; staff said they will continue monitoring the three budget proposals and report back as negotiations progress.
District officials said they will keep the Ohio School Boards Association (OSBA) and other associations informed and will provide updates to the board as they receive more details from the legislature.
