Bowling Green board approves $2.6 million contingency reduction plan if May levy fails

The Bowling Green City School District Board of Education on Monday approved a contingency budget‑reduction plan that would cut about $2,600,000 from operating spending beginning in the 2025–26 school year if a 0.75% traditional income tax operating levy on the May 6, 2025 ballot is unsuccessful.

Superintendent Dr. Ted Hazleman told the board the district has been spending more than it takes in for the last two fiscal years and that the board placed the income‑tax levy on the May ballot to increase operating revenue. “The Board of Education placed an operating levy on the 05/06/2025 ballot. It is a 0.75% traditional income tax for a 5 year period of time,” Hazleman said.

The nut of the district’s choice, Hazleman said, is to either raise additional revenue through the levy or lower operating expenditures. “You either increase revenue, if that option doesn't happen, this option is a must where, we implement the reductions,” he said.

Why it matters: the district spends roughly $40 million a year on operations and uses reserves to cover shortfalls when revenues lag. Hazleman said the reductions are intended to restore a balanced budget if the levy does not pass and that the board approved the list in advance so staff and the public would know what would be at stake. If the levy passes, Hazleman said, “all of our services, all of the items that we provide our students, all of the programs, all of the staff members, those positions would remain.”

What the reductions include: the district estimates the cuts would remove 29 positions and eliminate or reduce a broad set of programs and services. The list provided to the board includes, among other items, elimination of: an assistant mechanic; the athletic director and athletics secretary; seven bus drivers and several route reductions that would limit transportation to pre‑K through eighth‑grade students who live more than two miles from school; two custodians; a district communications director; an inventory control/courier position; three of five district nurses; the performing arts center manager; the student wellness coordinator; multiple classroom positions including four elementary teachers, a district music teacher, a high‑school English teacher, a middle‑school business education teacher and the district gifted teacher. Contracted mental‑health therapists and case managers would be eliminated; many extracurricular supplemental contracts would end (with limited state‑required exceptions for professional development and mentoring); district elementary orchestra and several secondary music course options would be cut; and field trips including fifth‑grade camp would be suspended. The district also said building rentals to outside groups would be shut down at the end of the day to save on utilities and overtime.

Transportation and schedule impacts: the presentation said high‑school transportation would be eliminated except where required by law, including travel to Pennant Career Center; middle‑school students would be consolidated onto elementary routes causing longer ride times and a proposed student start/end time shift at the middle school (presented in one slide as 8:20 a.m.–3:02 p.m.). The approved memorandum of understanding with the Bowling Green Education Association would change middle‑school teaching staff hours to 7:35 a.m.–3:15 p.m. to allow the altered route schedule, the board was told.

How reductions were calculated: the superintendent said district leaders reviewed open positions and operational choices over two months and that the district already reduced about $422,000 in the 2024–25 year through attrition and unfilled positions. Hazleman provided category percentages for the proposed $2.6 million: roughly 29% from extracurricular supplementals, just over 22% from teaching staff, about 14% from student wellness/health, about 13% from administrative staff, roughly 12% from transportation and about 9.6% from remaining sports, field trips and related items.

Board reaction and votes: board members framed the decision as painful but necessary unless voters approve the levy. Several trustees praised district leadership and urged voters to seek accurate information ahead of May 6. The board approved the contingency reductions and the related MOU on middle‑school hours in a roll‑call vote. (Outcome: approved.)

Other actions taken: at the same meeting the board approved the treasurer’s financial report, routine minutes, personnel recommendations (hires, resignations, retirements and supplemental contracts for spring activities), operations items including donations and agreements with local educational service centers, approval of a geothermal guaranteed maximum price for construction work and several student trip requests. The board also renewed Superintendent Hazleman’s contract for an additional five years, beginning Aug. 1, 2026. All listed items passed by board vote during the meeting.

What the district said about levy terms and history: Hazleman told the board the levy on the May ballot is a five‑year term, changed from a continuing levy the district had previously considered after community feedback in December. He also said the community last passed new operating dollars in November 2010. The treasurer presented the monthly and year‑to‑date financial summaries used to support the forecast and the proposed contingency list.

Next steps: the reductions are immediate contingencies; the district said they would take effect beginning with the 2025–26 school year only if voters do not approve the May 6 levy. If the levy fails, district leaders said additional adjustments could still be required beyond the approved list to maintain a balanced budget going forward.