Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Budget And Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Treasurer warns pending state bills could create large deficits; board approves five-year forecast submission
Summary
Treasurer Beth McCaffrey presented a five-year forecast showing possible losses from pending state bills (including HB 96 and HB 186); she said the district could lose about $320,000 under one scenario and nearly $1 million under another, and the board unanimously approved the forecast for submission to the state.
Treasurer Beth McCaffrey presented the district's five-year forecast, told the board that new statutory timing rules have shortened forecasting windows and urged advocacy to state legislators about bills that could reduce school funding.
McCaffrey explained a recent change in state requirements (House Bill 96) that altered forecast deadlines and said it diminishes the forecast's usefulness to the board: "It's now a 4 year forecast... it's confusing," she said. She reviewed revenue drivers (local income tax and tuition from out-of-district students participating in career tech) and noted the district is accepting open-enrollment students as resident enrollment trends shifted.
She presented a specific concern about the Orwell-Trumbull pipeline delinquency, saying Berkshire's portion of the current delinquency is "a little over $900,000" and the county-level delinquency totals about $12,000,000; legal action in county court and an appeal remain pending.
On pending legislation, McCaffrey flagged multiple bills with budgetary impacts: House Bill 96 (changes to forecast timing and piggyback exemption), House Bill 186 (state budget line changes that could affect levies), House Bill 309 (which she called a "direct attack on the board's authority" by giving budget commissions new discretion), and other proposals that could limit continuing levies or raise voter thresholds. She presented modeled impacts under adverse scenarios: "If that piggyback exemption, we would lose about $320,000... If they do retroactive on the 20 mil floor growth, that would be almost $1,000,000," she said, warning the board that those shifts could turn small surpluses into deficits by 2027 under extreme assumptions.
Board members asked clarifying questions. McCaffrey said reappraisals will be an "update" in 2027 (three-year update cycle), described casino revenue at roughly $90,000 this year (about $66 per pupil), and provided voucher counts: 4 in 2023, 69 in 2024 (11 low-income), and 103 in 2025 (20 low-income). Superintendent John clarified that many voucher recipients had not previously attended Berkshire schools, so the district's resident enrollment remained largely stable.
After discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve the five-year forecast for submission to the Ohio Department of Education. Chair Mr. Manfredi then moved on to the superintendent's personnel and other consent items, which the board also approved.
The treasurer urged board members and the public to contact state legislators about proposals she said would weaken local school funding.
