Bellbrook school board eyes November levy after two rejections

Board will decide levy at June 11 meeting as opposition mounts.

Bellbrook’s school board is leaning toward putting another levy on the November ballot after voters rejected levies in May 2019 and spring 2020.

At last week’s meeting, board member Kevin Price urged the rest of the board to consider a five-year emergency levy, but did not mention a proposed millage.

He also said if that levy passed, the district should use those five years to shift some of the school funding burden from property tax to earned income tax. He said that model, which generally only taxes wages, would give a break to the community’s elderly and others on fixed incomes.

The rest of the board agreed to have Superintendent Doug

Cozad and Treasurer Kevin Liming research possible levies and millages, so they can present options to the board for discussion at the June 11 meeting.

Liming told the board it should be prepared to make some decisions at that June 11 meeting, because of the procedural steps that have to happen by the Aug. 5 deadline to get the levy on the November ballot.

Members of a Facebook group that has opposed Bellbrook’s school levies immediately voiced their opposition to a November levy, with some arguing the district should respect the community’s back-to-back votes, rather than trying again and again.

Both Price and Cozad said they believed the timing of the coronavirus shutdown and resulting economic fallout affected the outcome of this year’s levy, which was rejected by a 52.5 to 47.5 ratio.

“It’s important to give the community the continued opportunity ... to say yes or no to it,” Cozad said. “Ultimately it’s up to the voters.”

As the school board discussed existing cuts to staff, busing and academic programs, along with further cuts being added for the upcoming year, levy opponent John Stafford repeated his regular call for teacher pay and benefit cuts.

All district staff have taken a pay freeze for the upcoming school year, and Cozad said the district can’t make unilateral cuts during the term of the teachers’ contract, which expires May 31, 2021. He said that’s not an issue he wants to pursue anyway.

“That’s saying we don’t think our teachers or educators are worth their salaries, that they’re being overpaid ... that we think their salaries are outlandish,” Cozad said. “I just disagree with that.”

The superintendent also pointed to the state’s performance audit from this January, which said Bellbrook’s salaries are generally lower than surrounding peers Beavercreek, Waynesville, Kettering, Centerville and Xenia.

The audit also says the tax burden on Bellbrook-Sugarcreek residents, as measured by Ohio’s Local Tax Effort Index, is lower than the state average and those local peer districts’ average.

Stafford contends that just means other districts are making poor choices too.

Cozad said the district has already made $2.3 million in budget cuts since summer 2018, via layoffs, not replacing departing staff, reducing bus service and other moves.

Despite that, the five-year forecast presented Thursday by Liming shows Bellbrook’s total general fund expenditures have increased from $28.2 million in 2017-18, to $29.8 million in 2018-19, to $30.8 million in the year just ending now.

Cozad said they are implementing another $2.5 million in cuts over the next two years, including 85 small supplemental contracts for coaches and club advisors. That will mean elimination of six freshman and reserve sports teams, no Camp Kern trip, no middle school musical and other programs.

The forecast finally predicts an expenditure decrease for 2020-21, back down to $29.9 million, with the bulk of the reduction coming in staff salaries, then back up to $31.6 million in 2021-22.

The Bellbrook school district is slated to finish this school year with $2.76 million in the bank, or about 9% of a year’s expenses.

Contact this reporter at 937225-2278 or email Jeremy. Kelley@coxinc.com.