“Even as we have continued to reduce spending and look for additional efficiencies, our (state) funding has continued to decline,” Fairfield Schools Superintendent Billy Smith said.
“We are now at a crossroads where increasing revenue is necessary to avoid very large reductions to student opportunities, programming, and staffing. This is why we have begun the process to place an earned income tax on the ballot in May,” said Smith, citing declining and stagnant state funding of recent years.
Officials said that between 2009 and 2012, the district eliminated 140.5 positions, and since 2023, an additional 1.5 administrative positions and 12 teaching positions have been eliminated through attrition, along with 12 positions through a reduction in force.
Moreover, district officials said previously in announcing the ballot issue: “The district has also delayed capital improvements, postponed technology upgrades, and extended its bus replacement cycle beyond the planned timeline. The last levy approved by Fairfield voters was in 2011 and was expected to sustain the district for five years.”
Officials said “despite these efforts, district expenditures are currently outpacing revenue by approximately $9 million.”
In Ohio and among Butler County’s 10 public school districts, the earned income tax is a rarely used local tax revenue generator to cover daily operating costs.
An earned income school tax, as compared to a general school income tax, is designed to help spare segments of the district’s residential population in the city and Fairfield Twp. who are on fixed incomes and would not be required to pay the additional tax should voters approve it.
According to school officials’ statement released Thursday evening noted: “Under Ohio law, earned income taxes do not apply to Social Security income, most retirement income, or investment income, meaning many residents on fixed incomes would not be affected.”
Under Ohio law, final approval to place the proposed 1.25% earned income tax on the May ballot must come from two school board votes for approval each coming in separate meetings.
The Fairfield school board is now scheduled to proceed with its second mandated vote at its Jan. 27 meeting at 6:30 p.m., during its meeting to be held at the Catherine D. Milligan Community Room at Fairfield High School, located at 8800 Holden Boulevard.
Smith said “in the meantime, we remain committed to educating our community and soliciting feedback through ongoing community engagement sessions, as we have done in the past.”
Public input on the proposed school tax is heard at the board meetings during the public comment segment of the meeting agenda and a public comment option is also always available via the district’s website.
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