Perrysburg board approves $6 million reduction plan to show voters levy stakes

The Perrysburg Exempted Village Board of Education on Sept. 22 voted unanimously to approve a list of proposed reductions totaling roughly $6,000,000 that the district would implement if voters reject a Nov. 4 operating levy.

The reductions list accompanies a proposed 7.83‑mill operating levy on the Nov. 4 ballot; district officials told voters the levy would cost homeowners about $274 per $100,000 of home valuation each year. Superintendent Dr. Anstead said the vote was intended to give the public “clear information about the potential impacts” if the levy fails and repeated the district’s estimate: “If rejected, reductions totaling approximately $6,000,000 would be necessary.”

Why it matters: Treasurer and administrative presentations showed the district’s cash flow would remain strained without new local revenue. The treasurer’s forecast presented to the board projects that, even with the reductions, the district would be pushed toward lower cash‑reserve levels in the next two fiscal years; administrators warned that deeper cuts or another levy ask would be required by fiscal 2029 if the Nov. 4 levy is not approved.

What the reductions would include: District leaders and building principals described program and staffing changes that would take effect if the levy fails. Presentations ranged from elementary schools to the high school and transportation, with examples including: - Elementary schools: reduction of STEM and library staffing to two shared positions across four buildings, elimination of head teacher supplements, and the loss of one reading specialist per building, which administrators said would reduce small‑group, research‑based reading interventions. - Technology: elimination of the district take‑home Chromebook distribution to fifth graders (move to a seventh‑grade distribution cycle) and reduced dedicated K–2 computer carts, which technology staff said would slow early access to foundational digital skills. - HPI and junior high: reductions that principals said would cut performing arts sections, reduce Wilson‑program reading intervention staff, remove a dean position responsible for attendance and student support, eliminate recess monitors and activity coordinator roles, and close or curtail library services in some buildings. - High school: nearly $1.5 million in cuts across programs and staffing that administrators said would raise average class sizes, reduce elective and advanced offerings, and eliminate many extracurriculars and athletics if fully implemented. The high school presentation noted an annual operating cost for athletics the district subsidizes beyond gate receipts and booster support. - Transportation: proposed elimination of high‑school home‑to‑school busing while retaining K–8 nonpublic transportation required by law; in total the district said reductions could remove about 21 buses and drivers and reduce service significantly. - Safety and student services: the plan would reduce one SRO position and make cuts that pupil services leaders said would push special education and student‑support services closer to the “floor of compliance” with federal rules rather than sustaining current levels of individualized support.

Administrators repeatedly distinguished discussion items from formal action. The board’s formal decision Sept. 22 was to approve the reductions list as the district’s proposed plan should the levy fail; the vote was recorded as unanimous. Superintendent Anstead and other administrators said the list was built to prioritize legal requirements and student safety while illustrating the scope of possible program losses to voters before early voting began Oct. 7.

Board action and next steps: The board’s motion to “approve this reduction plan as presented” passed on a roll‑call vote (5–0). The district will publicize the approved list to inform voters ahead of the Nov. 4 election and proceed with levy outreach. Administrators said early departures of bus drivers, constraints on hiring for positions removed from the budget, and pending state property‑tax policy changes could accelerate or deepen fiscal pressure.

Votes at a glance: The board recorded unanimous votes on the reduction plan and on routine consent items during the meeting. The board also moved into executive session at the end of the meeting by unanimous roll call; no business followed the session.

What officials emphasized: Throughout the presentations leaders urged voters to weigh the long‑term impact. Dr. Anstead warned the cuts would be “generational” and could take years to rebuild. High school Principal Justin Fultz said bluntly that the high school experience “will not be at all what they’ve grown accustomed to over the years” if the reductions are implemented. Andrea Glesser, director of special education, told the board that “compliance is the floor, not the ceiling,” and cautioned that cuts would reduce the district’s ability to provide individualized services beyond minimum legal requirements.

Public comment and context: Members of the public used the meeting’s public‑comment period to urge voter registration and community unity; a parent urged local parent organizations to help register voters before the Oct. 6 registration deadline for the November election.

The board approved the reduction list to allow the district to publish a concrete set of consequences tied to the November levy. District officials said the measure is intended to give voters a clear choice between approving local operating revenues or accepting substantial, immediate reductions to programs, staff and transportation services.