Montgomery Declares Another School District Fiscal Emergency

Ohio Auditor of State Betty Montgomery declared yesterday that the Struthers City School District (Mahoning County) is in fiscal emergency.

“Today’s fiscal emergency declaration triggers the appointment of a state commission to oversee district finances and assist in the development of a workable recovery plan,” Montgomery said.
“We look forward to working with the commission and district leaders to restore financial stability to Struthers City Schools.”

The emergency declaration is based on the forecasted deficit of $1.9 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2005. The district also met the conditions for fiscal emergency because they were unable to pass a levy to eliminate the deficit.

In other school news...I saw yesterday that the Buckeye Local School District, where consecutive levies have failed, turned down by a 3-2 vote a plan by a parent boosters association to save the district's athletic programs. The group was willing to put up $50,000 to pay for a part-time athletic director, coaches, and facilities rental. Students would still have had to pay approximately $400 per sport to participate. One of the board members voting against the measure stated that they really needed to pass a levy and the offer would not help accomplish that. I guess sacrificing a year or two of extracurricular participation along with destroying the senior season of athletes and wrecking the latter's chances of receiving college scholarships is worth it if the levy passes. How ticked off are the voters going to be now that the board turned down free money? Time will tell.

Later