The district focuses on communicating the urgent need, state funding to residents

The Princeton City Schools Board of Education took the first of two necessary votes at the July 22, 2019, board meeting to place a 4.25-mill operating levy on the November 5, 2019 ballot. 

This request comes after the district postponed its initial ballot request for an operating levy until November 2019, citing the need for additional communications with its residents as reasons for the deferment. 

“Through conversations with hundreds of community residents at dozens of events throughout the school district, we overwhelmingly heard that they wanted more time to collect the facts in order to make an informed decision about the future of our schools,” said Tom Burton, superintendent of Princeton City Schools. “But the fact remains that, even though we continue to manage our finances in a conservative manner and look for ways to be more efficient every day, we are facing an urgent need for additional funding; that is just the way school funding works in our state.” 

The district prolonged the preceding levy to last five years longer than expected and has cut over $26 million from its budget since 2004 to offset funding reductions from the state, maintaining almost flat revenue even though expenses are increasing as a result of increasing district enrollment.

Passage of the November operating levy will allow the district to maintain the well-rounded, quality academic programming for students that the community has come to expect as well as eliminate the need to make dramatic, district-wide cuts to programs and services, according to Mary Cleveland, board president.

“Cuts hurt our schools, they hurt our students, and they hurt our community,” said Board President Cleveland. “If we must continue without additional funds, then we must make drastic reductions to the programming and services that we offer.”

District administrators and the board of education will begin identifying the cuts and reductions that will need to be made if the November ballot issue does not pass and will announce those in the fall.

Board President Cleveland reassures that these cuts are not just a threat. “This is the reality we face as a public school district in the state of Ohio. We must rely on the support of our residents to ensure we can provide a quality education that our community expects and our students deserve, an education that prepares and empowers each student for college, career, and life success.” 

The 4.25-mill operating levy will cost taxpayers approximately $12 monthly per $100,000 in property market value. If passed, the collection will begin in 2020. This operating levy will fund the day-to-day operations of the district, such as staffing, utilities, and supplies. None of the funds from this levy will be used for the construction of new facilities.

To formally place a levy on the ballot, the Board of Education is required by the state of Ohio to pass two resolutions: a Resolution of Necessity and a Resolution to Proceed. A recommendation for the Resolution to Proceed will be included on the Special August 2nd board meeting agenda. For more information about the Princeton City School District or the November ballot issue, please visit the Levy Information Tab above.   

Media Advisory for July 22, 2019

MEDIA CONTACT:

Tricia Roddy, Director of Communications

troddy@vikingmail.org

513-864-1093

 

Board of Education Meeting

 

WHAT: The Princeton Board of Education will discuss placing an operating levy on the ballot and decided a timeline, which may include taking the first of two necessary votes on Monday, July 22, 2019.

 

HISTORY: A 6.99 mill levy had been on the ballot for August and was taken off in June to give taxpayers more information. See press release below.

 

WHEN: Monday, July 22, beginning at 6:30 p.m.

 

WHERE: Princeton Administration Center, 3900 Cottingham Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45241

 

WHO: Mary Cleveland, President of the School Board; Sandy Leach, Vice President of the School Board; Susan Wyder, Board Member; Dr. Lillian Hawkins, Board Member; Gina Ruffin Moore, Board Member; Christine Poetter, Treasurer; and Tom Burton, Superintendent of Princeton City Schools. https://www.princetonschools.net/Page/412

 

 

Princeton Board of Education Meeting

Princeton Administration Center

3900 Cottingham Drive

Cincinnati, OH 45241

 

Monday, July 22, 2019

6:30 p.m.

 

Public sessions begin at 6:30 p.m. Community members who would like to speak, must sign in prior to the start of the meeting.

 

Minutes are posted online, as are the agendas and minutes of previous meetings. The link is: http://www.boarddocs.com/oh/prcsd/Board.nsf/Public.

 

Princeton Postpones Ballot Issue, Reassures Community

 

(CINCINNATI, OH, June 28, 2019) - The Princeton Board of Education announced during a June 28 board meeting that the district will postpone its ballot request for an operating levy until November 2019, citing the need for additional communications with its residents as reasons for the deferment.

 

“We have participated in dozens of community conversations, meetings, and events around the community and overwhelmingly we have heard that people need additional information to make an informed decision,” said Tom Burton, superintendent of Princeton City Schools. “We have always been responsive to the community and we will continue to be so.”

 

The members of the board explained during the meeting that this change in the schedule does not delay the need. “We simply want to make sure that our community has all of the facts in order to make an informed decision about how serious the situation is that we are facing,” said Mary Cleveland, board president. “We have listened and, by doing so, have conveyed to our residents how important their voices are to the future of our schools.”

 

Burton added that since the district first announced in April 2019 it would be on the ballot in August 2019, he has spoken with hundreds of residents about the operating levy, specifically, and how public school funding operates in Ohio, in general.

 

The district has cut over $26 million from its budget since 2004 to offset funding reductions from the state and has maintained almost flat revenue even though expenses are increasing as a result of increasing district enrollment. Despite Burton’s efforts to advocate for fair funding in Columbus, the state repeatedly rejects the proposed Fair School Funding Plan set forth by state lawmakers. “We will continue to fight and advocate for what is right and just,” said Burton.

 

“Ultimately, it is up to the community to decide what kind of schools it would like to have. At the end of the day, this is about providing our community’s children with the best possible educational experience,” said Cleveland. “We will need an operating levy to protect and preserve the quality of education programs and services that we offer to our students.”

 

The Princeton Board of Education is expected to take the first of two necessary votes in July, to place an operating levy on the ballot. For more information about Princeton City Schools, please visit https://www.princetonschools.net/.

 

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Princeton City School District’s Mission: Empowering each student for college, career, and life success.

 

Princeton City School's Website

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