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Dayton Daily News education reporter Scott Elliott writes about schools, kids, teaching and learning.
Home > Blogs > Get on the Bus > Archives > 2008 > August > 14 > Entry
Jefferson Supt: Consolidation not an option
Jefferson Twp. schools hope a change at treasurer, a November levy try and tougher fiscal management will help the district escape state takeover.
But consolidation with a neighboring district or shifting all of the district’s approximately 700 students to one building — ideas suggested by the state auditor — are options that are not on the table, Superintendent Richard Gates said.
“That is not something we talk about,” Gates said. “We’re very confident in our ability to offer residents an effective school district.”
On Monday, Ohio Auditor Mary Taylor’s office ruled that Jefferson was in “fiscal emergency.” That designation allows the Ohio Department of Education to place a commission in charge of the district, with veto power over all spending decisions. The commission, a combination of state and local appointees, will be named within 10 days.
But Gates said the district has already moved to address its financial woes, and step one is a new 5-mill levy that the school board has approved for the November ballot. It has been 10 years since a levy for new money was approved by voters in Jefferson Twp.
“We are asking voters to approve that because, honestly, that is the only way we can improve our financial situation,” Gates said. “This is a great school district. We are determined. We know we have mandates coming. We recognize we are at a critical point financially. We cannot continue to operate our district on 1998 money and pay 2008 bills.”
In a June audit report on Jefferson schools, Taylor’s office reported that seven treasurers in four years and high turnover among support staff led to “a loss of historical data and perspective” along with “weak or nonexistent” internal management controls.
Since an earlier audit in 2004, Taylor’s office said the district had failed to address enrollment declines, high attrition and turnover, weak internal controls, data and information mismanagement, poor employee relations, high per pupil spending and low academic performance.
Jefferson last year was rated in “academic emergency,” the lowest of Ohio’s five school district rating categories.
Treasurer David Robinson resigned on Aug. 5 and was replaced the same day with a new interim treasurer — former Dayton Business Committee executive director Doug Mangen.
Since 2004, the district merged its middle school and high school, cut jobs and took other steps toward reducing costs, Gates said. Now it will just have to do more.
“This situation is not something that just happened,” he said. “We worked hard to improve our fiscal health so far. We’re in a tightening mode. We have to do things differently in terms of cutting expenses.”
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