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To: Ross Parents and Community
From: Ross Board of Education and District Administration
Date: May 5, 2023
Re: RLSD Statement 

The Board of Education and Administration would like to thank the community members who continue to support our school district. As we are all aware, we are in a challenging time financially. Our district administration has tried to be very transparent with our financial situation and will continue those efforts in the future. 

We are aware that the recent news regarding the potential property valuation increase through the triennial revaluation process combined with potential additional property taxes from a successful levy caused many residents concern. We understand and share that concern. While we expected property values to increase based on the previous triennial revaluation, there was no indication or communication from the county auditor’s office that the state tax commissioner would be recommending a 20-40% increase in valuation. Given that the proceedings for the May 9.44 mill levy was finalized with the passage of resolutions in January, 2023, there was simply no way to predict such a potential steep increase in property valuation. 

Since these large potential increases have been announced, we’ve determined that it’s in the school and community’s best interest to “press pause” in planning for any future levy. Until we are certain what the final property valuation increase will be and what potential revenue it will provide the district, we will not be asking for additional dollars from our community through a levy. It’s important to note that the potential valuation increase is still a fluid process and, from our conversations with the county auditor’s office, we may not know the final numbers until this fall. 

With that said, after three unsuccessful levy attempts and uncertainty surrounding potential valuation increases, we will not be placing a levy on the November ballot. This will allow us to reassess the district’s financial reality with a clearer picture of the property valuation and other variables such as the new biennium state budget which will be approved in June.

We will be moving forward, in principle, with Year 1 of the budget reduction plan presented at the April Board of Education meeting. As attrition occurs–meaning staff members retire or resign–specific details of that plan may change, but RLSD remains committed to reducing expenditures by approximately $1.8 million. 

Athletic Fees will remain at $825 per athlete per sport with no family cap for next school year and RLSD will only provide school transportation to away athletic events more than 25 miles away. However, if the student-athlete participates in a third sport during the school year, the third sport will be free. We will reassess this fee structure for the 24-25 school year as we know more about our financial situation. 

The School Board will approve the new student fee schedule at the May 18, 2023 School Board Meeting. 

We will continue to communicate updates as this complex financial situation evolves.

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Ross, OH - Ross Local Schools is proud to announce that we have been awarded a total of $500,000 in funds from the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission and Governor Mike DeWine’s Safety Grant program. Each of the District’s 5 buildings will receive $100,000. These funds can only be used for specific physical security expenses such as security doors, cameras, radios and other upgraded items. It can’t be used for personnel expenses, such as wages or benefits, nor will it decrease the need for a levy. However, it does allow for needed upgrades and additional services that were previously thought to be unattainable.

“We are thrilled to have been awarded these funds. We live in a world of uncertainty, but this money will be used to do all we can to ensure a safe learning environment for our kids,” said Superintendent, Chad Konkle. “Safety is always our top priority. This has been a competitive process, and we are so glad to have finally been chosen.” This is the third round of grants offered by the state, and Ross was not chosen in the first two rounds, despite having tried.

While the district has tried their best to keep up with safety advances, their current funds can only stretch so far. “This is a big win for the district because there is no money in the general fund for these types of upgrades. In a time of financial crisis, we see this as a major opportunity,” said the district's Director of Personnel and Fiscal Services, Steve Castator.

 

During our Board of Education meeting on September 15, a 10-year history of our School District was presented. This document can be found at Rossrams.com under the Financial Update Page. This document has many layers of information. It is our goal to provide “Friday FAQ’s” to help dig further into our financial history.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

● How much of an increase in state funding has Ross Local Schools received per year over the last decade?

In fiscal year 2013, the District received $10,460,443 from the State. In fiscal year 2022, $10,560,852 was received. Unfortunately, there are many costs that have risen in the past ten years. One such example is staff salaries. In fiscal year 2013, the District paid out $12,251,779 in salaries. In fiscal year 2022, staff salaries were $16,980,477. This increase has occurred despite the District negotiating below-average wage increases for our staff over that period of time. The average negotiated yearly pay raise for school personnel in Butler County over that time period was 2.27%. Ross Local Schools average negotiated pay raise was 1.7%.

Think of all the costs of a family household that have drastically increased over the past 10 years. Examples include utilities, health care insurance, daily operational costs and vehicle costs, such as gasoline. We could certainly give more examples; the point is that our State Revenue has been flat. The exception is a slight increase in local income taxes; however, our overall costs have skyrocketed upward.

Public school districts are a people business. Our core value is to provide the best education for our students. To that end, personnel costs are a large majority of a district’s budget. Approximately 80% of a district’s budget is personnel. Our full time employee count has drastically decreased over the past two years due to efforts of balancing our budget. The information that follows will be helpful.

● How many full-time employees did Ross Local Schools employ during that time period?

2016 = 303
2017 = 303
2018 = 322
2019 = 327
2020 = 342
2021 = 306
2022 = 302
2023 = 300 (projected)

● How does the Consumer Price Index impact our School District?

The Consumer Price Index (CPI) is an indication of the average change in the cost to purchase consumer goods. Over a ten year period, CPI has increased 25.3%. However, the District’s total operating revenue has only increased by 14.8% over those same ten years. As you can see, we are operating our District at a severe deficit. 

We hope the Friday FAQ’s are helpful in understanding our financial situation. Please contact us if you have any questions.

To download this document click the link below.

Friday FAQ September 23, 2022

Letter to Parents and Community