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Columbus school board approves $7.1M central-office cuts, freezes central administrator pay as treasurer warns of growing multi-year deficit
Summary
The Columbus Board of Education approved a package of central-office position reductions and a pay freeze for nonschool-based administrators to help meet a larger $50M deficit-reduction goal; Treasurer Cook’s updated forecast included a $93.4M actuarial hit to health insurance and projected multi-year cash shortfalls, prompting calls for more cuts and committee planning.
The Columbus Board of Education voted unanimously Feb. 3 to approve a package of central-office reductions and a freeze on pay for nonschool-based administrators as leaders work to close a multi-year budget gap.
Superintendent Dr. Chapman presented a proposal to reduce 62 central-office administrative positions, saying the moves would save about $7.19 million — exceeding a previously directed $6.6 million target — and were intended to protect classroom-facing positions. "These reductions equate to a savings of 7,193,66," Chapman said, framing the measures as structural alignment after temporary pandemic-era staffing increases and emphasizing transition support for impacted employees.
Board members debated timing, policy constraints and whether the initial reductions should be reallocated to save additional classroom positions. Dr. Pierce and others pressed for clear deadlines for remaining staffing plans; Mr. Simmons urged policy review so the board and administration can plan such major organizational changes more deliberately.
Separately the board voted to freeze nonschool-based administrator salaries for central office staff. Treasurer Cook said the freeze represents money the district will not spend and offered to provide the estimated savings figure the board requested.
The votes came as Treasurer Cook presented a revised multi-year forecast showing the district’s expenses exceed revenue starting in FY25 and projecting negative cash balances by FY30. Key drivers include state property tax reforms and a large actuarial adjustment to the district health plan. "The total amount of that impact ... is $93.4 million," Cook said, explaining that the actuarial update materially increased projected expenditures and pushed ending cash balances downward across the forecast.
Cook also said preliminary estimates of the effect of pending state property tax changes (House Bill 335 and related measures) amounted to roughly $17.5 million in lost revenue under current assumptions, while noting those numbers remain subject to legislative developments.
Board members asked whether the district should raise the number of positions to be cut in later rounds to protect teachers and classroom staff; others urged the board to coordinate committee work (facilities, equitable resource management and policy) to align strategic, facility and fiscal planning. Moody’s, Cook said, has emphasized the importance of a formal plan to stabilize operations to protect the district’s credit ahead of planned bond activity.
The board approved the reduction-in-force package (resolution 4.3) and the nonschool-based administrator salary freeze (resolution 4.4) in separate roll-call votes, with all present voting yes. The board also added the updated forecast to the consent agenda and approved it.
The board directed staff to continue committee-driven analysis and to return with additional staffing proposals and clearer timelines; the transportation workgroup and other committees will provide quarterly or periodic updates to the board.
Next procedural step: the board moved into executive session at the end of the public meeting for personnel and legal consultation matters.
