By Bob Strohm
bstrohm@wbcowqel.com
Wynford Superintendent Steve Mohr spoke out against Gov. John Kasich’s proposed biennial school budget during his report to the Board of Education Monday night.
Under the proposed budget Wynford would lose 8.1 percent, or $410,435 over the 2016 and 2017 fiscal years in state funding which Mohr said “could potentially be catastrophic” to the school district.
“The reality of that plan is if you are a small or mid-sized rural school district you are going to be expected to pay more, and if you are an urban or suburban (school district) you are going to receive more money,” Mohr said. “It just flies in the face of all common sense to think that the thing has pretty much worked out with simulation, and I just hope that the state legislature not look at the rhetoric or the talk that goes out there, but look at the reality of how it plays out, and this is coming from someone who is a supporter of the governor.”
If the proposed school funding budget were to pass Mohr said that it would be very difficult for the school to cope.
“The thought of having to deal with the cuts at that magnitude are so challenging at this point and time I couldn’t tell you how we would deal with it,” Mohr said.
Superintendent Mohr also announced that the other three of the five eligible schools would be joining Bucyrus and Wynford in participating in the Community Connector Grant. Mohr noted that Timken has joined in as a partner for the grant as well.
Wynford Treasurer Leesa Smith presented a revised five-year forecast to the board Monday night. Smith said that there was enough change with the insurance that she should revise the fall forecast.
“There weren’t a lot of changes materially speaking,” Smith said. “I did not touch the unrestricted grants and the funding line could change a lot between now and June.”
Smith said that the largest amount of money from the General Fund goes towards personnel services and retirements. Smith also said that the school has $50,000 less in carryover from self-insurance.
Board member Fred Hendricks asked Smith what caused the property decline starting in fiscal year 2016 in the updated forecast.
“With the renewal coming up I excluded it in case the legislation doesn’t pass. The levies monies have been withheld pending approval by the voters,” Smith said. “It shows how important for the levies to pass.”
The Wynford Board of Education passed all personnel and operational items on the agenda including entering a three-year contract with Time Warner for phone services and an agreement with Direct Energy Business via Metropolitan Educational Council for the purchase of natural gas from July 2015 through June 2017.