The Future of Perrysburg Schools: Operational Levy 2019

1. The Future of Perrysburg Schools:Operational Levy 2019 September 2019

2. Tuesday, November 5, 2019 • Board of Education voted unanimously on July 15, 2019 to place an incremental operational levy on the November 5, 2019 ballot to help the school district maintain its current level of service to our rapidly growing student population.

3. What is an Operating Levy? • Must be used for day-to-day operating expenses, such as salaries, benefits, utilities and textbooks. • An Incremental Levy is a type of operating levy that starts smaller and rises at regular intervals to help combat the effects of inflation.

4. What will the levy pay for? • After considering several options, and a detailed study of district growth trends and needs, the Board of Education determined this levy is crucial to Perrysburg Schools’ day-to-day operations. • The funds would be used for operational expenses to maintain our current level of service to an enlarging student body, as well as safety and security updates.

5. Safety & Security • We understand that crisis response is not prevention. There is so much that can be done before a threat shows up at our door. • We can better identify students and families in crisis and continue to strengthen our mental health services. • We also must be prepared for a range of types of emergencies, such as active shooter, allergic reaction, bomb threat, CPR/AED, fire, playground accidents, school bus accidents, suspicious person and tornado/weather. • We would like to offer training focused on tabletop exercises and age-appropriate, school-wide drills involving students, employees and first responders.

6. What cuts have been made to ask for the lowest possible amount? • The school district reduced its operating budget at the end of last year by nearly $900,000. • A reduction in staffing in aid positions, additional days for staff members, reduction of funds for professional development, cutting orders for technology in classrooms, switching from MacBooks to Chromebooks for students and reimbursements for travel are just some of the areas that were impacted.

7. What kind of raises have employees seen recently? • 2011-2012 - 0% • 2012-2013 - 0% • 2013-2014 - 1.25% • 2014-2105 - 1.25% • 2015-2016 - 1.25% • 2016-2017 - 1.4% • 2017-2018 - 1.85% • 2018-2019 - 1.85% • 2019-2020 - 1.0% • Over the last 9 years, the average settlement has been 1.09%. 

8. How does the school district plan for growth? • Perrysburg Schools utilizes a Master Planning process, which includes experts in the field, city and township officials, senior citizens, developers, parents, guardians and employees. • Funds were set aside for to operate Hull Prairie Intermediate School for the first few years with the intention of putting an operating levy on the ballot in 2019 or 2020. • School district-wide student growth also exploded during this time period, impacting the timing and amount needed.

10. Growth Today and Tomorrow

11. Our most recent ODE School Funding Report shows our total calculated funding to be $15,108,949.26, but then it sets our cap limit at $11,159,658.94. This is a loss of over $3.9 million in state funding this past school year alone.

12. State funding comprises only 27% of our funding; the state average is 44%

13. Since 2008, our school district has grown 19% (or 882 students) *2008 - 31% of our funding came from the state

14. Below State Average for Per Pupil Spending

15. Does the school district charge families for activities? • A pay-to-participate program has been in place for extracurricular activities since 2011.

16. Does the average cost per pupil include the income tax? • The cost per pupil – what each school district spends to educate a student – is calculated by the Ohio Department of Education and can be found in the Cupp Report. • This amount is determined by how much each school district spends. • Grants, local tax collection, income tax, federal dollars and all sources of revenue are accounted for in this calculation.

17. How many area school districts have an assistant superintendent?

18. Does the school district allow non-resident students to attend? • Ohio legislators passed a law allowing school boards to permit students of employees to “follow” their parent to work. In 2008, the PEA asked that the Board would permit this in grades K-12. The Board then, seeing growth at the elementary level, agreed to allow students to follow their employee parent/guardian in grades 9-12. • Currently, 8 students leave Perrysburg Schools through following a parent school district employee and 6 students are coming to Perrysburg through following a Perrysburg Schools employee. • Perrysburg Schools does not permit Open Enrollment.

19. Superintendent Residency • Maumee – No • Ottawa Hills – No • Perrysburg – No • Springfield – No • Washington Local – No • Anthony Wayne – Yes • Oregon – Yes • Toledo – Yes

22. A Performance OverviewAnnual Public Survey: Grading of the School District B A—69% B—23% C—3% D—0% F—0 C Respondents were asked: “Suppose Perrysburg Schools were graded like students in our district. Based on your impressions and experiences, what would you say the district's overall grade should be?” 92% 5% skipped question

23. 2012Seven Years • 2012 was the last time voters in Perrysburg voted to approve an operational levy that provided new funds to the school district. • In 2012, voters approved an incremental levy that in 2016 was approved as a continuing levy at a flat rate.

25. What is an incremental levy? • It is a property tax levy under RC 5705.213, which permits a specific amount of funding each year that can be increased by a set amount over the prior year's amount.

26. Example of How it Works • Instead of setting a millage rate to be collected and having the dollar amount being fixed for all the years of the levy, an incremental levy sets a dollar amount needed to be collected each year. • In communities with a growing tax base, it is an excellent value for residents, because as more people move into the district, the less each needs to pay to come up with the total amount.

27. Incremental Levy Passed in 2004 Paid 4.35 mills less than what voters approved over the life of the levy.

28. Incremental Levy 2012 To date: The district has collected 1.88 mills LESS than what was approved by the voters.

29. Projected Levy Monthly Increase on a Home Valued at $200,000 *Projected Millage Rate will be Lower as Values Increase

30. 2018 Payable 2019 School Property TaxesTotal Class I (Residential & Agricultural) Rateas of June 2019 on a $200,000 home

31. Area School District Income Tax

32. How do Property Taxes Work in Ohio and Perrysburg?

33. Effective Tax Rates The school district collects a fixed sum and as more people build homes and businesses come to Perrysburg, the less everyone pays.

34. Number of School Levies in Ohio Since 1976 (HB 920) 11,963

35. Every time a home is built, the amount that everyone pays on current school property tax levies… Decreases

36. Ohio Auditor of State – Performance Audit • The projected fund balance without any new revenue that caused the Board to place this levy on the ballot also triggered the Ohio Department of Education to ask the Auditor of State to conduct a performance audit of Perrysburg School District. • We anticipate their recommendations will be released in early October.

37. State Report Card • The Ohio Department of Education (ODE) recently released the annual State Report Card for Perrysburg Schools. • Once again Perrysburg Schools showed strong performance. The school district's performance index, which measures how well students performed on state tests overall, increased for the third consecutive year, as did many of the other indicators. • Perrysburg Schools experienced a score reduction in Gap Closing as a result of our four-year graduation rate for students with disabilities, which caused Perrysburg Schools to miss earning its second overall “A” grade by 7/1000ths of a point.

38. State Report Card, continued • In previous years this score was a combined calculation of the five-year graduation rate and the four-year graduation rate; this year it only reflects the four-year graduation rate. • Half of our non-graduates had their graduation intentionally deferred because a team of educators and their parents identified this as the best option for these students. • The State of Ohio permits schools to educate students on Individual Education Plans (IEPs) through the age of 22. • If given the choice between doing what is right for students on IEPs or taking a higher letter grade, we will do what is best for students every single time.

39. Social Media • When employees post to public groups about Perrysburg Schools, they are electing to become a spokesperson for the school district from their personal account. • Misinformation.

40. Misconceptions • Hull Prairie Intermediate School has a capacity of 1,120 students. There are currently 840 students. The school was also constructed with the ability to add on four classrooms to increase this capacity. • Since the 1930’s, Perrysburg Schools has built a new school or a major addition every decade. Except during the 1940’s. The 1950’s was the only decade where the school district built two new schools and built an addition to another. • The Commodore Building cannot be converted back to a school; primary reasons include: the building is too small to house even a single grade level, it sits on just 5 acres vs. 13 acres at Ft. Meigs the and there is not adequate parking space at the site. There are already 4 school building within a mile of the Commodore. Growth is happening in the SW corner of the district.

41. Misconceptions • Can’t the district stop growth? NO. • With all the new homes and students new to the school district, isn’t the district getting a lot more money? NO. • Aren’t Perrysburg Schools’ property taxes among the highest in the region? FALSE. • Perrysburg Schools – why do we want a “Cadillac” system when a “Chevy” is good enough? REALLY?

42. Reality • Things like “impact fees” or “tax the new residents only” are illegal in Ohio and not an option. • The school district cannot cut its way to keep up with growth without changing the fabric of our schools and community. • We wish it was a smaller levy, but it isn’t. • There are no 10-word soundbite solutions.

43. Life goes on during campaign season • Perrysburg Schools recently had a new scoreboard installed at Widdel Field at Steinecker Stadium, which was 100% funded by donors. The installation was covered by revenue from the Jacket Sports Network and program advertising sponsorships. • Secure vestibules at PHS and PJHS paid for by Permanent Improvement funds.

44. What Will Happen if the Levy fails on November 5, 2019 • January 2020 – Implement $2.7 million of mid-year reductions. • August 2020 – Implement an additional $5.9 million in cuts prior to start of the 2020-2021 school year. • Even if a levy were to pass in 2020, the district will not receive any additional funding until 2021 so reductions would still take place. • More than 50 positions eliminated as well as programming due to $3.1 million shortfall. 2010 Reductions

45. Auditor of State Report to Release Recommendations & District Reduction Plan to be Announced in Early October • It is the responsibility of the school district to make sure voters are aware of what will happen if the levy were to fail.

46. Campaign Activities • Email List • Yard Signs • Donate • Testimonials • Door-to-Door • Host a Coffee • Marching in the Harrison Rally Day Parade

47. Thank you! Any questions?