Thank you all who joined us in-person or virtually via Zoom or Facebook Live ( thanks to Doylestown Thrive ). In case you missed it, catch the recording of the presentation on our YouTube channel.
We received a number of questions from our audience, which many of them we answered in-person and others we went back and did research to provide a clearer answer. Here is a list of those questions and the answers.
Robotics, like many extra-curricular activities, are opportunities for students to engage thier minds, meet new friends, and grow new interests and passions outside the classroom. Increasingly, post-secondary schools look at students participating in clubs and programs like robotics as more well-rounded, critical thinkers, and able to expand thier horizons.
Two articles that touch on these points are:
The Ohio Department of Taxation and NEXUS reached a settlement that reduced the payments by 58% from the original projected amount, though recently an appeal has been filed in Lorain County to contest that settlement. NEXUS during the appeal period has paid school districts and entities where the pipeline passed through 40% of the original projected amount, as required by law, and will be required to pay any differences once the final appeals are settled. There is no timeline for a final decision on the appeal.
These funds are a part of the funding the district receives from a mutitude of public utilities ( such as electric companies, other gas pipelines, etc ) that the district has earmarked between $300,000 and $400,000 per year towards capitial improvements.
Frontline Education and the Ohio Department of Education both have resources that speaks to how COVID relief funds can be used; in short, there are very narrow use-cases for this funding, which is intended to help school districts in local relief, prevention and preparation, and recovery efforts.
For Chippewa, these funds have been used on training, disinfectant, and shoring up lost educational opportunities over the past several years. Specific investments have been in purchasing Chromebooks for students to bring the district to a 1:1 ratio of students to Chromebooks, counseling services, and cleaning supplies. One thing to note is while these funds have been helpful in the short-term, the long-term effects of the COVID pandemic aren’t known; meaning there could be additional investments the district would need to make to address any emotional and educational setbacks.
We did a blog post on the survey results earlier in the summer which showcased both the raw results and some anaylsis of the results.
In short two things stood out as focused for the fall campaign:
A focus for the campaign has been on trying to both better educate the district residents on the school district and how it operates, but also showcasing the administration and leadership of the district to help residents better connect with them. The TODD Talks video series is one area this is being done, along with the content driven on this website and shared via social media.
The School District Income Tax is administered by the Ohio Deparment of Taxation, and subject to the guidelines it provides. There aren’t presently any provisions in allowing an income cap or limit in calculating the tax amount.
The Chippewa Local Schools Board of Education felt that since the 1% School District Income Tax accounts for 15% of the revenue of the district, focusing on that renewal in the fall was a priority. As the plans for the district buildings evolve in the future the property tax levy may be considered, but the Board of Education is sensitive increasing the tax burden on it’s district residents and wants to consider all options before pursuing it.
While over time the district has looked at it’s finanical outlook and chosen not to renew property tax levies from time to time, the 1% School District Income Tax has always had the intention being funds towards the general fund which is used for all aspects of funding the district operations and infrastructure.
The district has established both a strategic plan, as well as 5 year budget forecast.
The Board of Education continues to look at the financial climate, grant opportunities, and immediate priorities, as it looks to execute on the plan. One thing to consider is that with rising inflation, the district is put in the position of having it’s cost increase short-term, while the revenue growth relative to inflation can take years to be realized, if ever, due to how the School District Income Tax and Property Tax collection and millage works.
Let us know if there are any questions we missed, and please come to the second Levy Informational Public Meeting and Community Dinner on November 2nd to learn more about the levy and ask questions.