Grandview Heights Schools Notes: District staying on track financially
First, I would like to congratulate the class of 2022.
These students and their teachers have been remarkably resilient the last four years. They have overcome challenges and succeeded to this point due to hard work and perseverance.
Just as our students and staff strive for excellence in education, our district also strives for excellence in financial management and operations.
This month the Grandview Heights Schools Board of Education approved the latest five-year financial forecast, which I’m pleased to report remains stable.
Grandview Yard revenue continues to be a strong source of local revenue.
Revenue projections have increased slightly due to continued growth and development of the Grandview Yard. This is great news considering our district receives very little funding from the state. We are extremely appreciative to our community in the continued support of our schools, which allows us to provide the high-quality education that our community expects.
Our master-facilities plan, made possible by the support of our Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff communities, remains on time and on budget.
Students and staff are enjoying the new Larson Middle School and our high school renovation is scheduled to be complete by the end of 2022. If these construction projects were beginning today, the price tag would be approximately 25% higher, proving this was the right project at the right time and a sound investment for our district and our community.
The teachers and the district have agreed to a new contract, which provides 3%, 2.75%, 2.75% increases in base compensation over the next three years. The agreement allows us to stay competitive, attracting and retaining great teachers but also is fair to our taxpayers.
We have worked collaboratively with our teachers and support staff to make changes to our insurance benefit plan, including changing insurance carriers and adjusting the benefits.
With the volatility of insurance costs, we’re pleased that staff and the district came together to evaluate plan design and premiums to contain costs and ensure long-term plan stability. The great news is that our claims have significantly slowed down due to strategies we have adopted to help save money. Thank you to our staff for helping us contain those costs.
The district remains committed to financial transparency and accountability, while at the same time, providing the resources our students need to succeed. None of this would be possible without the support of our Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff communities.
Thank you!
Beth Collier is the CFO/treasurer of Grandview Heights Schools.
This article originally appeared on ThisWeek: Grandview Heights Schools Notes: District staying on track financially
