School districts hit hard

State budget cuts to affect local schools

Lake County school districts are being forced to take a hard look at their budgets after Gov. Mike DeWine this week released district-level details for his planned $300.4 million in cuts to the state’s public K-12 schools in this fiscal year which ends June 30.

The cuts come amid the economic downturn caused by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Kirtland Schools Superintendent Bill Wade is focusing on trying to offer the best support he can for students.

“These cuts, along with the previous $1.1 million in reductions from state and federal revenue, continue to increase the burden on our local taxpayer,” Wade said.

He noted that in DeWine’s plans for $300.4 million in cuts, Kirtland School District was among the top 20 districts with the highest per-student cut of $304 per pupil. This almost 36 percent reduction is the largest in Lake and Geauga counties and equates to a total loss of $362,387.

“The continued loss of state

funds is devastating to our district, particularly since we were penalized based on the reserves we have raised through sound fiscal management,” Wade said. “The district implemented staffing reductions, budget cuts, increased fees, and additional shared service agreements as a response to the failure of the May 2018 levy.”

Wickliffe Schools Superintendent Joe Spiccia said he will focus on making adjustments to minimize student impact.

“While we are disappointed in the budget cuts, we understand that every organization and every person

has to do their part in creating a healthy and economically strong Ohio,” Spiccia said. “We did anticipate budget cuts from the state due to the COVID-19 emergency. We will adjust our budget to minimize the impact on students and student programs.

“As a district, we are planning several reopening strategies based on the guidance received from the Ohio Department of Education, the Ohio and Lake County Departments of Health, and the best interest of our students, staff, and families,” he added.

DeWine has suggested the education funding cuts were weighted to relatively spare poor schools. He also said schools would be allocated money from the CARES Act, the federal coronavirus relief

bill, that could offset some of the lost funding.

“I have expressed here at these press conferences concern about students at schools that do not have the revenue — poor schools, poor children,” he said in making the announcement. “And so that certainly is taken into consideration when we put that formula together.”

The state does not have any immediate plans to tap its rainy-day fund, which contains $2.7 billion, DeWine said. He said he anticipates that money will be needed in the future.

“We don’t have a crystal ball,” DeWine said. “We can’t predict where the economy’s going. We want to be optimistic, and I am optimistic, but we also want to be cautious.”