If the board decides to pass on a November levy this year, it still would have to make deep cuts to make it through 2012, Lane said and it would face a negative cash balance of $10 million in 2013.
“The educational experience for our students would look drastically different from what it does now,” Superintendent Cathy Milligan said.
The board will conduct a special meeting at 6:30 p.m. June 29 to look at levy options, though Lane cautioned the board still had time to make a decision. The state budget is expected to be approved by the end of the month, she said, and that might change the financial situation of the district.
The filing deadline for an income tax levy is the end of July and for other levy types, it is early August, Lane said.
“A lot is going to happen in the next two weeks as we close our books, and hopefully we will see better numbers,” she said.
Doug Dragoo, a representative of the Fairfield Tea Party, questioned the contract approval in light of the financial situation.
“It seems a little strange in how you can obligate us, the tax payers, to spending levels when we have yet to authorize what the revenues are going to be — knowing that the operating budget doesn’t cover all the financial expenses,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5067 or lhilty@coxohio.com
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