NORTH ROBINSON, OH (CRAWFORD COUNTY NOW)—To start the February board meeting, FFA Officers Haylie Kovach, vice president; Brooke Schieber, secretary; Hayden Finney, treasurer; Bri Wiparina, reporter; Trace Skaggs, sentinel; and Ashlynn Beck, student advisor, opened the board of education meeting with the traditional opening ceremony for FFA meetings.
Treasurer David Sheldon presented the five-year forecast to the board, and while the district is currently in good financial standing, much like other school districts, House Bill 186 is projected to cost the district around $1.64 million in fiscal year ‘27 and around $5 million by fiscal year ‘30.
House Bill 186 caps property tax growth and retroactively applies credits to residents, effectively “clawing back” revenue from the school district.
Sheldon told the board that the district is in a “double loss” scenario because recent property reappraisals have shown a 53% growth in value, which automatically triggered a reduction in state funding. Because the new law retroactively credits those property tax increases back to residents, the district loses the local revenue it was expected to gain while receiving less state aid.
Personnel costs (salaries, wages, and benefits) account for 80% of the district’s total operating budget. The district receives 44.8% of its revenue from the state and 55.2% from local resources. The district’s income tax is a vital component, providing 15% of total operating revenue.
The district is paying off a 10-year lease-purchase agreement for the multi-purpose room next year, which will remove that expense.
The district currently maintains a positive cash balance and meets the recommended 60-day cash reserve.
Expenditures are projected to outpace revenue starting in fiscal year ‘27 due to retroactive property tax credits, resulting in deficit spending.
House Bill 309 grants the county budget commission the power to reduce voter-approved levies if it deems the collection unnecessary or excessive, adding another layer of financial uncertainty for the district.
House Bill 96 changes the financial forecast from a five-year to a four-year model and alters the submission timeline for these forecasts. Previously due in May and November, the deadlines were moved to October 15 and the end of February for the current year. Starting in fiscal year ‘27, the second deadline will move to August 31.
Sheldon noted these early deadlines are somewhat “misleading” because they occur before the district receives its final property tax statements from the county.
Also, with House Bill 96, the state is in year five of a six-year phase-in for the fair school funding plan, and legislation failed to update the “base cost” data, leading to an inflation gap because the state kept input data at 2022 levels for fiscal year ‘26 instead of updating it to 2024. The district is not receiving state increases to account for the inflation that has occurred over the last two years.
In other happenings at the meeting, Megan Fuller, the parent of a high school student in the district, presented the board with a petition signed by 170 people asking that bowling be recognized as a sport rather than a club. Several nearby schools — Bucyrus, Wynford, Upper Sandusky, and Seneca East — already offer bowling as a sport.
Board president Anne Cole said they’d look over it and consider it.
FFA advisor Josh Schieber spoke to the board about the raffle for the 1950 Ford 8N that seniors Gage Billings and Keegan Ward restored and are selling raffle tickets for.
To reach a broader audience, the boys purchased space in two issues of the national magazine Iron Heritage and wrote a short feature to promote the raffle. Their article generated thirty-eight ticket sales from seventeen buyers in eleven different states.
Tickets can be bought until April 1 by emailing CCRAFFLE@gmail.com and are $20. Checks need to be made out to CCFFA and mailed to Colonel Crawford FFA at 2303 St. Rt. 602, North Robinson, Ohio 44827.
A full story with additional details is coming soon.
The board approved fall sports head coaches: Jake Bruner, football; Jordan Kiess, cross country; Nathan Hill, boys golf; Steve Mohr, girls golf; and Jamie Valentine, volleyball.
A contract worth $46,293.70 was approved with Paulin Sealcoating, LLC, for refinishing the district’s parking lots and drives. This includes crack filling, two sealcoats, and striping.
A contract worth $10,534.00 was approved with C.W. Mobile Pressure Washing for sidewalks, sides of wings, the school building, walkways, dugouts, and ticket booths.
The next meeting is March 16 at 7 p.m.