Reynoldsburg school district braces for hard decisions after failed levy

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (WCMH) -- One month after the November election, one central Ohio school district warns it may have to take extreme measures to balance its budget.     

Reynoldsburg City Schools held a special board meeting Thursday night after an emergency levy failed at the ballot. The meeting included a tough conversation about the future of the district, facing the potential consequences of its failure to pass its first levy request since 2010.

Superintendent Dr. Tracy Reed noted the outcome could be lifechanging for many in the Reynoldsburg community.    

“It saddens me,” Reed said. “I call it, 'You tell people, but many times people don't believe you until you actually have to do something,' and so now we're in the space that we have to do something and it will be done. It will be very uncomfortable, but we have to do what we have to do.”    

Several department officials with the Reynoldsburg City School District spoke at length in the special meeting, listing the cuts that could go into effect. Reynoldsburg Board of Education President Angela Abram explained they are trying to dig themselves out of an $8.5 million hole due in part to deficit spending, meaning they are using more money than they have. 

“These are just proposals,” Abram said. “We're not sure exactly, you know, based on what's proposed, what might become an actuality. So, we're looking at everything. I mean, eliminating $8.5 million, we do have to figure out how were going to do it.”   

The proposed cuts include everything from reducing the number of assistant principals in elementary schools, shutting down power to buildings a half hour after school and back on a half hour before school to save on utility bills, and even getting rid of athletic programs across the board. The superintendent understands while these are complex decisions, she said she is just trying to fix the budget she inherited.     

“I have to remind people that many of our leaders sitting in this room were not here three years ago,” Reed said. “So we're a new leadership team in this district. And so we're kind of having to deal with things that just kind of happen.”    

Other options include pausing all hiring, reviewing staffing levels and redistributing duties. This may include taking more work without an increase in pay. With a lengthy process ahead, the board had one message for teachers.      

“I continue to believe that we have to treat our teachers with respect and we're going to do our due diligence to make sure we take care of them,” Reed said. “I don't know what that will look like right now, but I recognize the space that we're in.”    

The board also said there is currently no recommendation to put up a ballot measure in May, explaining they would have to ask the community for even more money than in November, but they hope to continue to engage with the community in future meetings.