And despite local voter approval of a school renewal tax levy in May 2025, the district was forced to continue recent years’ practice of personnel and program budget cuts.
“The reality is, we’ve got trouble,” said Philpot, who took over as an interim superintendent last year and is now the full-time leader of the district that enrolls students from Trenton and portions of three adjacent rural townships in western Butler County.
“We have a real financial crisis,” he said, adding the political uncertainty from possible changes to the methods of state funding for Ohio public schools adds to financial variables that are currently unpredictable.
Philpot recently released a public message to Edgewood residents stating the district will further emphasis improving academic quality even though its future financial resources are uncertain.
“For us, it’s been (budget) cut, cut, cut for the last three to five years … all to try to hold off this inevitable (financial) cliff just a little bit longer. But the reality is that the kind of (budget) deficit we are facing in a couple of years, we can’t cut our way out of it.”
“It would be catastrophic and it would mean closing buildings,” said Philpot.
Since 2020, the 3,500-student district has seen its enrollment decreased by 500 students district officials project another 500-student decline by 2030.
Despite its financial woes, he said the school system has no plans to return to the ballot this year to ask residents to raise school taxes but whether that may be an option in 2027 or beyond remains to be seen.
The renewed school levy approved by voters in May 2025, which did not raise school property taxes, generates about $3 million of Edgewood’s $42 million annual operating budget.
Seven Mile Village Mayor Missy Mick was among the public forum attendees and said she appreciated the transparency and public outreach by Philpot and the other district officials who joined him.
“We need to know what’s going on with our school district and we like that they come to our community,” said Mick.
Edgewood graduate of the district, Garrett Kehr, has young children approaching school age and intends to enroll them in the local public school system.
Kehr said “being able to come to something like this (forum) and being able to engage them (school officials) is very informative … and I really appreciate it.”
The next public forum is today, March 11 at 6 p.m. at Edgewood Middle School Media Center at 5005 Ohio 73.
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