The Tiffin City Schools Board of Education on Wednesday presented a contingency reduction plan the district would implement if a Nov. 4 operating levy fails.

The plan, described by a board member as "very tough" and "substantial," groups actions into three phases. Immediate steps include eliminating overtime for maintenance and custodial staff and ending summer workers. Transportation changes and a tiered fee structure for athletics, arts and activities would begin with the 2026–27 school year; some activity fees could take effect in July 2026 for fall sports that start before the academic year. Personnel reductions would be phased according to contract expirations rather than by instant layoffs, the board said.

"These proposed reductions are substantial, and they definitely would alter the educational experience for our students and family," said Mr. Mendel, a board member who presented the plan. "Our hope remains that the community will recognize the importance of November 4 in sustaining our programs, services, and opportunities for our students."

Why it matters: District officials said the plan is intended to keep the district fiscally solvent without masking the potential impacts. The board emphasized an effort to preserve athletics, performing arts, visual arts and student clubs by moving to a fee structure rather than eliminating programs outright.

Financial details and timing: Treasurer Mr. O'Dea told the board that for the month of September the districts revenues were up about 10.66% compared with the same month last year while expenses were up about 21.59%, a skew largely driven by a large medical down payment the district made this year. The districts current measure of "true base cash" is roughly 180.1 days (about 5.7 months).

"If we didn't receive another dollar, how many days would we be able to operate? Right now that's 180.1 days," Mr. O'Dea said.

Forecast and state oversight: Board members asked how soon the district could hit critical levels. The treasurer said state guidance commonly references 30 to 60 days of cash on hand, and state monitoring or fiscal watch usually follows several years of negative spending. Board discussion referenced a projection in which the district's cash position approaches zero near 2029 and becomes negative by 2030 under current assumptions.

Implementation details: Officials said some cuts would take effect immediately if the levy fails (for example, overtime and summer worker eliminations). Fee structures and transportation changes are slated to start in the 2026–27 school year; personnel reductions would be tied to the end dates of individual contracts. The board said it will publish the full plan after formal approval.

Context on other district finances and investments: The treasurer also reviewed investment decisions, noting a STAR account yield that had recently moved to about 4.2% and that the district has pursued a diversified investment approach to secure higher yields for longer terms.

Academic context and related spending: In the same meeting board members discussed state report-card results and curriculum spending. The board noted the district's overall report-card rating was three stars, with the progress component and early-literacy component each receiving two stars. The board said it invested roughly $500,000 this past year to purchase new science and reading curriculum.

Outlook: Board members said the reduction plan is a transparent attempt to prepare the district for a possible levy failure while hoping the levy will pass. The board declined to announce hypothetical future program eliminations beyond those in the published contingency plan and said families would be given advance notice of fee and transportation changes tied to the 2026–27 school year.

Provenance: The reduction plan was introduced during the action-item portion of the agenda (Item 7.3) and discussed at length in roll-call and subsequent Q&A. Topic introduction excerpt: "This has been a very tough project to take on. It is not 1 that we take on lightly. These proposed reductions are substantial..." The boards explanation of implementation phases and cash projections appears later in the same discussion.