“These cuts hurt so much. They were a step backward,” said board Vice President Andrew Fleming.
Reductions included eliminating all-day kindergarten, reducing busing to state minimum levels with no high school transportation, as well as implementing higher school fees.
Pay-to-participate fees also would increase from the current $50 for each activity for high school and junior high students with a $100 student cap and $200 family cap, to $350 per activity for high school students and $250 for junior high students with no individual or family caps.
Voters solidly rejected the district’s property tax request 65.77% to 34.23% on the May 6 ballot, according to final, unofficial returns from the Warren County Board of Elections.
The emergency five-year, 6.301-mill levy would have raised $4.5 million annually. It has been 11 years since the district last had a new-money levy pass for daily operating costs.
“You can’t cut your way out of needing funding,” said board President Rachel Ruppert-Wolfinbarger.
The $1.2 million in reductions will last a year, compared to a levy providing 10 years of funding, said Treasurer Kevin Hawley. The five-year budget forecast shows a negative cash balance in the general fund for fiscal year 2029, with cuts factored in.
“Unless there is radical state funding changes, increases or increased local revenue, Franklin City Schools will not be able to maintain current programs and services for students,” he said.
The district also had a significant increase in purchased services, primarily due to special education costs.
“We have a high special ed population,” Hawley said, with Franklin Schools ranking the 18th highest percentage in the state of 611 public school districts.
Franklin Schools also has the sixth lowest cash carryover balance compared to annual expenditures in the state.
“Even if we end the year in a positive cash balance, does it mean that we have a full year of positive cash balance?” he said.
In January, the district had to borrow against bond funds to meet the final payroll of the month, which is expected to happen again next year due to revenue fluctuations, he said.
New start times, more walkers
The board also approved new school start times for next year.
School will be in session from 7:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for high school and junior high school students and from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. for Franklin Intermediate, Gerke Elementary and Hunter Elementary schools. At Schenck Elementary School, morning kindergarten is 8:40 to 11:25 a.m. and 12:55 to 3:40 p.m. for afternoon kindergarten classes.
A few parents and grandparents expressed concerns about the state minimum busing that requires district transportation only for those in kindergarten through eighth grade who live more than two miles from school, particularly in areas of Franklin Twp. that do not have sidewalks or crosswalks.
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