Southeast Ohio superintendent resigns over alleged school board mismanagement

GLOUSTER, Ohio (WCMH) -- An Athens County superintendent resigned last week, blaming the board of education for the district's financial troubles and his departure.

"I can no longer continue in my role under the current circumstances," Trimble Local School District Superintendent John Hurd wrote in his resignation letter. "The increasingly overreaching involvement of the board into the day-to-day operations of the schools has made it increasingly difficult to carry out my responsibilities effectively."

Trimble Local Schools have struggled financially for the past few years, and the state placed them in a state of fiscal emergency in April. In his resignation letter, Hurd said he loved working at Trimble, but accused the board of education of overstepping and mismanaging the financial struggles.

"The board’s continued inaction on critical recommendations – such as necessary staffing reductions in the light of our status of fiscal emergency has further strained our ability to maintain a sustainable budget," Hurd alleged.

Hurd said the board of education has overstepped its authority by involving itself in personnel roles and daily school operations, making it difficult for administrators like Hurd to effectively manage the district. He also claimed the board's actions open the district up to possible lawsuits, especially because he said it worsened the workplace culture.

Hurd also alleges the board needs to take more direct action to remedy the financial worries Trimble faces. He accused the board of failing to make progress in restructuring the district's food service department, alleging the inaction has cost the district more than $300,000. He pointed to a board member's close affiliation with an involved labor union, accusing the board of unethically delaying this restructuring because of that conflict of interest.

If true, that is a highly necessary $300,000. According to the board’s most recent financial update, which was announced at a board meeting last Wednesday, the district has been working with the state auditor’s office to correct its finances. This is a state-mandated collaboration; Ohio placed Trimble in a state of fiscal emergency earlier this year, which is the final and most severe stage of fiscal issues a public school district can have. Under a fiscal emergency, districts are subject to state oversight until they can fix their finances.

According to the recent financial update, Trimble ended Fiscal Year 2025 with $1.4 million in cash, just under $1 million more than the district had expected to end with. However, most of this was from a $600,000 loan from the state, which needs to be repaid at the end of July. The rest of the unexpected money came from overestimating how much salary and fringe benefit payments would cost. 

“While these numbers reflect some improvement, they must be viewed in light of ongoing expenditure pressures and the cumulative deficits that contributed to the district’s current fiscal emergency designation,” the district financial update read.

Despite paying less on supplies, services and other goods than it did the year prior, Trimble is still facing a major deficit, meaning the district is bringing in less money than it is spending. Trimble said it also brought in $200,000 less in local property taxes than it did the year before. By 2029, the district is expected to have a $10 million deficit.

The district is holding a special board meeting Monday night to consider how it can make up the money. According to a news release, Trimble's board of education will consider options to enhance local revenue and whether or not to place a levy on the November ballot. The Athens County Auditor said Trimble would need to generate more than $3 million annually to fix the deficit, recommending a 60.55 mills tax levy.

The district said it is considering an income tax levy for this upcoming election, which is far less common for Ohio schools, which often use property tax levies instead. The district has not yet announced how large a levy it is considering, but confirmed it may vote on levy options Monday night.

The board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday at the high school cafeteria. NBC4 reached out to Trimble's board of education and district treasurer for comment on the finances and Hurd's resignation, but neither replied. Hurd's last day will be July 31.