Voters defeated a bond issue for a new high school in Franklin and rejected operating levies for Springboro, Little Miami, Mason and Lakota.
To get an issue on the ballot in May 2011, school boards would need to approve a “resolution of necessity” by mid-January for an income tax proposal, or late January for an emergency property tax proposal; the second and final school board resolution would need to be approved by early February, school officials said.
Lebanon schools’ recently updated five-year forecast assumes a 17 percent reduction in state funding and shows the district running out of money in 2013.
The district is dipping into its cash reserve because there is not enough revenue coming in to cover expenses, said Lebanon schools Treasurer Eric Sotzing.
“The picture is not any better in the coming year or over the next five years,” he said.
Rising operating costs, recent losses in state revenue and an eroding tax base are factors adding to the “structural imbalance” of the budget, Sotzing said.
Lebanon officials plan to hire a firm to conduct a community survey.
Superintendent Mark North said the purpose of the survey is to help shape the district’s “continuous improvement plan.”
The survey would provide information about what the community will support and to what degree, North said, helping to validate decisions made by district leaders.
North said in the near future he will present his recommendations for a company for school board approval, including the timeline and costs associated with the survey. North said “good information doesn’t come cheap,” and mentioned two “highly-respected” companies, including Dayton-based Strategic Visioning.
Earlier this year, Springboro school officials contracted with Strategic Visioning to survey voters about whether to put a tax issue on the ballot. The company’s proposal to the district included a cost of $13,300 for a telephone survey, not including the cost of forming focus groups.
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