Five-Year Forecast Shows Need for Issue 2

* Published by Nan Dill, President Mariemont City Schools Board of Education

Last week at its monthly meeting, the Board of Education unanimously approved the October update of the Five-Year Forecast for Mariemont City Schools. This is a financial planning tool that all school districts in Ohio are required to use that shows actual and projected financial data. What is important about this forecast, is that it shows our reality if Issue 2 is not approved by voters on November 6.  

The latest financial forecast shows the steps that Mariemont City Schools must take to balance the budget if additional funds are not obtained to maintain the current day-to-day operations and if permanent improvement funds are not available to address the critical needs at the high school facility. The reality remains that we will need to cut nearly $2 million in programs and staffing over the next two years. The board has approved a budget reduction plan, but we are hopeful we never have to implement it. We love Mariemont City Schools and want to see it continue to reach new levels of excellence.

Our recent National Blue Ribbon Award, National District of Distinction Honor, the Governor’s Award for Excellence in STEM Education and the Ohio Department of Education Local Report Card are all indicators of the high-quality of education and value that our schools provide. Yet our first priority is to ensure students have safe and basic learning spaces. So we must pay for plumbing repairs, roof replacements and heating and air conditioning systems, and we’re to a point, that doing this will put too much strain on the operating budget to maintain many of the programs and experiences we love for our kids.  

If the district is forced to reduce staff and cut programs to deal with these repairs, then the excellence that is the hallmark of Mariemont City Schools is put in jeopardy.  

Mariemont City Schools has a long tradition of strong fiscal management. We understand how to live within our means and earn accolades for our high financial standards. Issue 2 is about maintaining excellence in our schools so that we don’t have to lose so much of what sets our school district apart and makes us one of the best.