Madison Local Schools to make $4 million in cuts if November levy does not pass

MADISON TOWNSHIP — The Madison Local Schools District is scheduled to make about $4 million in cuts, including reducing 29 teachers, if the November levy fails.

Superintendent Rob Peterson and Treasurer Bradd Stevens went over the projections with school board members at a Tuesday work session.

"What we hoped to do was only cut what we absolutely had to in the dollar number so that we had a positive balance at the end of the year," Peterson said.

In May, voters rejected an 8-mill continuing levy by a margin of 58% to 42%. In November, they will be asked to pass a 7.5-mill, five-year levy that would cost the owner of a $100,000 property $263 a year.

The levy would generate $3.36 million a year, with money being collected at the start of 2024.

"We have to increase revenue," Peterson said. "We have to pass a levy to get our district on track financially."

Residents told school officials they did not want continuing levy

Peterson said in going back to the ballot, district officials talked to residents, who said they did not support a continuing levy, which is why the district is now asking for a five-year levy. He pointed out the district has not asked for new money since 1997.

In reducing the millage, Peterson said the district considered the increase in property reappraisals.

The district would have a reduction of 47 employees, including 12 bus drivers and a mechanic, if the levy doesn't pass. Peterson planned to send out an email to staff on Wednesday evening.

"I'm sure it's going to be a difficult pill to swallow," the superintendent said. "When you're talking about someone's livelihood, it's awful."

In addition, the district would move to grade-level buildings. Madison South Elementary School would house grades PK-2. Eastview Elementary would house grades 3-4.

In all, there would be a reduction of 13 teachers at that level, including three kindergarten teachers, a trio of first-grade teachers, four second-grade teachers, a pair of fourth-grade teachers, three STEM teachers and a physical education teacher.

To account for larger classroom sizes, the district would add a pair of third-grade teachers and one intervention specialist.

Class sizes would increase to 22-24 students if levy fails

Peterson said class sizes are projected to increase from the upper teens to 22-24.

"I believe that the more students you put into classrooms, the less individual attention students are going to get," he said.

Other cuts to the elementary level would be an assistant principal, a library technician, a building aide, two custodians and a nurse.

The district would move the early childhood learning center to the Mifflin building and sell the former early childhood learning center property.

Peterson and Stevens said they hoped to get $200,000 from the property.

"We bought it for $250,000, so we're being very conservative with that estimate," Peterson said.

Also, the district would implement state-minimum busing and would transport students in grades K-8 outside of a 2-mile radius from the school and would not provide transportation for students in grades 9-12. There would be exceptions for both levels if busing is required by a student's individualized education plan.

Pay-to-participate would be imposed for athletics and other extracurricular activities/clubs. High school students would be $300 per sport, capped at $750. For extracurricular clubs, the cost is $75 per club, capped at $175.

Middle-school students would pay $150 per sport, capped at $375; and club members would pay $40 per club, capped at $100.

"Athletics has to be impacted," Peterson said, adding it would not be fair to cut only academics.

Stevens said the district hoped to raise $300,000 through pay-to-participate.

Peterson noted that athletic boosters have contributed scholarships to families struggling to meet pay-to-participate in previous years and hoped they could do so again.

Middle school would lose 9 teachers

At the middle school, there would be reduction of nine teachers, including two reading intervention teachers, a fifth-grade teacher, an English teacher, a science teacher, a social studies teacher, a STEM teacher, a music teacher and a physical education/health technology teacher.

The district also would cut two building aides.

At the high school, the district would cut seven teachers, including two family and consumer science teachers, an English teacher, a science teacher, a social studies teacher, a career-based intervention teacher and a career-tech pathways manufacturing technology teacher.

The district would also cut a secretary in the counselor's office.

Course offerings for students also would be reduced at all three grade levels.

Stevens told the board the district hoped to get $200,000 from selling the soccer field at the old junior high property. Youth leagues play there now.

Other cost-saving measures include reductions in the purchase of curriculum and supplies, in maintenance and building and grounds upkeep, and the use of heating and cooling.

The district would also limit purchasing Chromebooks to replacing only defective devices. In addition, it would eliminate supplementing adult education operations, which would save $25,000 a year.

"In May, we didn't give any specifics if the levy didn't pass," Peterson said. "This barely gets us to a cash balance each of the next two years."

District would have to return to ballot in 2024 with voters reject levy

If the levy fails again in November, the district would be back in the next primary, but any money collected from passage would not begin until early 2025.

Board Vice President Amy Walker said residents should not be angry with the district, but with the state legislature. The school funding formula was declared unconstitutional years ago.

The superintendent said even if the levy passes, the district would likely have to make some cuts when it receives updated enrollment numbers.

"It would be nothing like this," Peterson said.

He added he would send letters to families next week to let them know of the impact.

"Hopefully, they get out and support the district on election day," the superintendent said. "They need to talk to others and share that information."

He added, "If they levy passes, we should be on pretty solid ground financially for awhile."

mcaudill@gannett.com

419-521-7219

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This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Madison Local Schools considering sweeping cuts if levy fails