Dear Panther Families,
I'm sure you've seen that the Substitute Renewal Levy was voted down for a second time this week. Our Five-Year Forecast shows our district starting deficit spending beginning with the 2026-2027 school year. The board of education will be meeting next Wednesday, and again on April 3, to discuss potential levy options moving forward. I want to take a few moments to explain what this will do, and what it won't do, for our students.
First and foremost, our number one priority is, and always will be, our students. In an ideal situation, any financial cutback by the school goes unnoticed by a student. That means we are able to make budget reductions without sacrificing any quality of service to the student. To be quite frank, this has already been happening for a number of years and we are already operating at a thin margin. We have already made some financial cutbacks on technology, copier services, electrical, HVAC, etc., that may be a slight inconvenience, but hopefully our students are minimally affected. For the time being, we're able to continue making smaller financial savings that add up. These decisions are being constantly evaluated.
Just like we are faced with rising costs and expenses in our homes, our schools are facing the same reality. My grocery bill has tripled, my utilities are higher, and general expenses have increased. Our schools' have too. The 20-mill floor is designed to help offset the costs of inflation when costs go up. The reality is our school district will be looking at serious reductions by the 2026-2027 school year if the Substitute Levy falls off the tax duplicate and the district loses $1.3 million in revenue.
At Pike-Delta-York Local Schools, we will continue to take pride in the work we do. We have plans to improve our facilities and grounds so they are something we're proud of. We are finishing up our Portrait of a Panther work to structure Pre-K - 12 alignment to make sure our students are future-ready. We have some exciting initiatives in the works for our students.
In the future weeks, I'll be reaching out to gain more information on what our community is willing to support. We have to ask what we want our schools to look like 5, 10, & 20 years from now. My vision is that we have the best schools in northwest Ohio. We were recently rated the #1 school district in Fulton County through the ODE State Report Cards. Financial solvency and stability help us recruit and retain high-quality staff, which is the number one factor in high-quality education.
Help me and the board of education figure out a financial package moving forward that is sustainable and continues to provide the high-quality education we've been delivering. Even better, let's keep improving.
You're more than welcome to reach out to me or a board member individually if you have feedback to help this school district remain strong and stable.
Thank you,
Jon Burke, Superintendent
Pike-Delta-York Local Schools