The school board unanimously approved the school levy at their January meeting.
Jefferson Twp. is a rural district of about 30 square miles in western Montgomery County. It’s located near the Montgomery County Fairgrounds. Most of the people who live in Jefferson Twp. are farmers.
According to Jefferson Twp.’s five-year forecast, which is a school-district generated document laying out where the district expects to be in five years financially, Jefferson Twp. would have spent its funds by the end of the 2026-2027 school year.
Under Ohio law, school districts have to operate with a positive cash balance, said school treasurer Craig Jones. The district received a notice from the state in December saying they would need to make changes to avoid spending into the red.
Jones said there are also plans to make spending cuts regardless of the levy passing. The board will be meeting to vote on the cuts on Feb. 24.
The last time the district had new levy funds was in 2008, Jones said.
Jones said if the levy does not pass, the district is expecting to have to go back to the voters and ask again for a new levy.
“That’s the only way we can survive,” Jones said. “We can’t depend on the state, and this is our only way to raise revenue. So we absolutely will have to go back to the voters.”
The district is one of several who are going to the voters to ask for new funds. Beavercreek, Oakwood, Northmont and Huber Heights are also planning to go to the ballot this May.
Beavercreek is asking for funds to build a new high school, while Oakwood is asking for funds to improve their elementary schools. Northmont and Huber Heights are seeking operating funds.
Jefferson Twp. enrolled around 270 students this year, according to interim superintendent Rusty Clifford. It has also received 1.5 stars in the last two rounds of report cards, the only school in the state to do so. At the beginning of the school year, the district approved a new strategic plan aimed at improving the district’s grade.
Recently, Jefferson Twp. opened a new agriculture career tech center on campus. The funds that built that complex were one-time federal COVID-19 grants, which had to be spent by January or be returned to the federal government. The teacher is paid by the Miami Valley Career Tech Center.
About the Author
