West Clermont board adopts statement of facts on May 6 facilities ballot and reviews budget scenarios

The West Clermont School Board on Feb. 24 voted 4-0 to accept a district "statement of facts" summarizing the proposed facilities plan and the financial implications of a May 6, 2025 ballot measure, then reviewed several operating- and capital-funding scenarios and state budget risks.

Superintendent Dr. Fultz told the board the statement of facts is intended to present verified, cited information to the community about why the district is pursuing a facilities plan that would reduce the number of elementary buildings from seven to six, build a new intermediate school and a 7–8 middle school on the current middle school campus, and renovate or add onto several elementaries. "We're here because we're out of space in the elementaries," Dr. Fultz said, and added that students' home addresses currently determine learning environments across the district.

The statement of facts, which the board approved on a motion by Mr. Patton and a second from Mr. Rudy, lays out the proposed facility changes, estimated project costs and financing plan. District staff and consultants told the board they have identified a set of space needs and facility repairs projected at about $64 million; the district's broader master facilities plan totals about $93.1 million, the presentation said. Staff said the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission (OFCC) would cover roughly 70/30 on OFCC-approved portions of a project but that the state's share of the total master plan amounts to about 20 percent of the total project cost.

Treasurer and finance staff presented scenario planning that showed the district entering deficit spending in fiscal year 2026 under current assumptions if no additional operating revenue is approved. Staff laid out four scenarios: (1) the May bond issue passes and an operating levy (assumed 5 mills) passes in 2026; (2) the bond passes and an operating levy is deferred to 2027 at a higher millage; (3) the bond fails and no operating levy passes in 2026–27 (staff modeled a conservative minimum of $2.5 million in additional facility-related costs if the bond fails); and (4) the bond fails and the district pursues an earned-income-tax approach split between facilities and operating. In the scenarios staff emphasized timing matters: later collections require higher millage to raise equivalent revenue.

Presenters also summarized potential cuts in state funding under the governor's proposed biennial budget. Staff said the district is budgeted to receive about $28.6 million in state formula funding this year and that the governor's proposal, as modeled, would reduce recurring state aid by about $2.1 million across the 2026–27 biennium. The presentation underscored two points often repeated during the meeting: input data for the funding formula are several years old, and the district's "guarantee" (a prior-year-based floor) is at risk under the current proposal, which would lower the state's share of the formula for the district from roughly 28 percent in FY25 to a substantially smaller share by FY27 in the current proposal.

Board members asked for clarifications about OFCC percentages and citations for enrollment and spending comparisons; staff said the bond website and FAQs will include source citations and that the legal team had reviewed the statement of facts to ensure it consists of verifiable information rather than advocacy. "This document is meant to be fact after fact after fact that we know," the superintendent said.

After the facilities discussion the board approved a series of 11 separate resolutions authorizing the treasurer to file complaints with the Clermont County Board of Revision to request that the true value of specific recently sold commercial properties be adjusted to match their sale prices (items 8.01–8.11). The treasurer explained the eleven filings reflect a combined sales value of about $52,220,759 versus the tax-roll appraised total of about $16,362,000 and said successful adjustments could produce an estimated $434,000 in additional annual revenue for the district. Each of those 11 resolutions passed 4-0.

The board voted 4-0 on other procedural items during the meeting including adoption of the agenda and approval of the consent agenda, which included personnel actions, donations, monthly financial statements and the required resolution accepting amounts and rates as determined by the county budget commission.

The district will post the adopted statement of facts and related one-pagers, citations and FAQs on the bond website, staff said. The presentation materials also outline upcoming community engagement events including a March 19 town hall and a March 4 "State of the Schools" showcase, and staff encouraged board members to use the one-pagers when speaking with residents.

Votes at a glance

- Motion to adopt the Feb. 24 meeting agenda — approved 4-0 (motion moved/seconded; roll call: Patton, Rudy, Sanborn, Spencer all "Yes"). - Consent agenda (personnel, minutes, donations, financial statements, budget items 6.01–6.09) — approved 4-0. - Motion to accept the Statement of Facts about the May 6, 2025 ballot issue (Item 7.02) — moved by Mr. Patton, seconded by Mr. Rudy; approved 4-0. - Resolutions 8.01–8.11: authorizing filing of Board of Revision complaints to adjust appraisals to recent sale prices for specified properties — each approved 4-0. (Examples listed on agenda: 860 Old State Route 74 — sale $29,000,000; 4020–4024 Precision Drive — sale $10,050,000; other property sale prices range from ~$854,000 to ~$2,836,080 as listed in board materials.) - Motion to enter executive session to consider personnel and student-matter investigations — approved 4-0; no subsequent public action reported.

What the board did not do: No formal vote addressing the public complaints about student conduct or the specific disciplinary decisions described by a public commenter occurred during the meeting. The statement of facts is an informational, board-adopted document; it is not a campaign advocacy piece, staff emphasized.