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- As we discussed last week, the elected leaders of tiny Trimble Local Schools have been imploring the State of Ohio to declare them in a state of fiscal emergency since December, after having realized they double-spent $1.6 million of grant funding by accident and are now facing a shortfall for this school year—an error which they say could cause them to default on payroll and the electric bill very soon. As of early this week, however, the state is still resisting jumping over the other intervention steps for them for some reason—despite all the begging—ticking the district up to “fiscal watch” only. Wonder why? (WOUB-FM, Athens, 1/21/25)
- Mansfield City Schools’ financial situation is about the same level of scary (an operating deficit of $3.9 million is currently projected for the end of this school year), and leaders have been working with the state since the first inkling of trouble last summer. That resulted in a cost-cutting plan submitted to the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce back in July. But, as elected school board president Chris Elswick wisely puts it: “A plan is only as good as its implementation.” A truer word has rarely been spoken in the body of these clips, I reckon. So why, then, does this piece seem to indicate surprise that a second plan is now required (due February 28) when hizzoner freely admits that “there was things in the plan that we didn’t completely implement or implement them correctly”? It’s a multi-million-dollar mystery. (Richland Source, 1/22/25) The only clue we have as to why Mansfield is in this mysterious predicament comes from the elected board president’s cryptic assertion that “public education and the Mansfield City Schools are at a crossroads due to the decisions made on a state and federal level.” He adds that “We have to get this right,” in terms of fixing the…let’s call it a “fiscal cliff”…that they now face for whatever mysterious reason. I might suggest that the revolving door in their treasurer’s office has something to do with it (they went through four of them between January and November of 2024, after all, and just got a fifth one earlier this month), but what do I know, right? Luckily for them, that’s not the only revolving door in central office, as a former superintendent is willing to come back as a consultant (at $150 per hour plus expenses) to help them out. Between him and the other consultant they’re contracting with (also a former superintendent in a neighboring district (what are the odds, right?) but with a slightly cheaper hourly rate for what sounds like the exact same services), I’m sure they’ll figure it out together. (Richland Source, 1/22/25)
- The following piece is on a related topic of school funding, continuing on from previous reports from News5 in Cleveland. I had a whole big snarky analysis I tried to draft up, but I have given up in favor of simply saying that I am speechless at this truly extraordinary journalistic effort. (News5 Cleveland, 1/23/25)
- At the risk of worrying some folks in Cleveland (hiya, M.T.!), here’s another News5 story about education in NEO. To wit: A new initiative is creating a $100 million endowment fund and an $80 million capital improvement fund designed to help a group of Jewish private schools update facilities, add seats, and grow their campuses in the Cleveland area. (Yes, they all accept vouchers; that’s why I was worried!) “By creating the first-ever day school endowment fund in Cleveland – as well as securing funds needed to address essential capital improvements,” said one of the plan’s architects, “Jewish Cleveland will be ideally positioned to recruit and retain the brightest teachers, who will engage day school students with expanded and rigorous curriculums, as well as such specialized programs as those in STEM and the fine arts.” Love it or hate it, that is how you implement a plan. (News5, Cleveland, 1/23/25)
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