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South Euclid-Lyndhurst superintendent outlines levy-backed master facility plan as five-year forecast shows shortfall
Summary
Superintendent presented strategic priorities and a master facility plan tied to a proposed levy, saying funds would pay staff compensation and major building repairs. He warned a negative five-year forecast could trigger state fiscal caution as soon as 2028 if no revenue solution is found.
The South Euclid-Lyndhurst Board of Education heard a detailed presentation Aug. 19 from Superintendent (speaker 3) on the district’s strategic priorities and a master facility plan the administration says would be funded by a proposed ballot levy pending board and voter approval. The superintendent said the plan would cover staff compensation, repairs and renovations — including converting the Southland property into a preschool and refurbishing nearly 100-year-old Brush High School and its Performing Arts Center.
The superintendent framed the presentation around three guiding words — communication, visibility and accountability — and said the district is launching a strategic plan (targeted for 2026–27) and a Portrait of a Graduate initiative with community advisory involvement. “If we’re gonna go on the ballot, we’re gonna be ready behind it, meaning we’re gonna be able to explain the why with bullet points,” the superintendent said.
Financial context, the district’s business staff told the board, is a major driver of the proposal. Presentation slides and discussion showed the district is heavily locally funded: speakers cited 68.2% of revenue from local sources versus a 41.2% state average and noted 18.9% from the state. A business presenter said factoring federal grant dollars changes the calculation and estimated the district is closer to 78% locally funded when grants are excluded.
Administrators warned the board that the district’s five-year forecast shows a deficit by fiscal year 2028 and that sustained negative forecasts can trigger Ohio’s fiscal-caution process and potential state oversight. “We didn’t want to do any scare tactics, but we do want to be transparent that if this doesn’t pass, we are looking at fiscal caution,” a business presenter said. The administration said it will publish the five-year forecast in November after the election and is sharing levy information earlier so voters can see planned uses for any new revenue.
The superintendent emphasized the district will present detailed, project-level information and a public-facing master facility plan website with FAQs that explain what the levy would fund, how funds would be generated and how projects are prioritized. The site, he said, breaks down work by building and notes the plan will be pending board approval and voter approval.
On programmatic priorities, the district plans to continue expanding preschool (superintendent reported preschool enrollment has “quadrupled post COVID”), optimize the Infinite Campus student-information system in its third year, expand career-technical education options and strengthen MTSS (multi-tiered system of supports). The superintendent said cabinet members will attend extracurricular events to increase visibility and will use regular newsletters and social-media outreach to boost communication.
What’s next: the board discussed but did not take a formal vote on a levy measure at this meeting. Administrators said the master facility plan materials and the five-year forecast will be available online and that the administration will return with further detail as the levy process continues.
