CLARKSVILLE — Clinton-Massie Local Schools announced Friday that open enrollment at the elementary level will be eliminated and four teaching positions will be cut through attrition in response to the state’s concerns about the district’s financial state.
The Ohio Department of Education considers the district to be in a “precautionary” financial state, and the district is required to submit a Board of Education-approved written plan to eliminate any current-year deficit and avoid future deficits.
Clinton-Massie Superintendent David Moss announced that the Board of Education released a statement Friday, outlining measures that will be taken to address the current financial status:
“The Board of Education, working with the administrative team and our Treasurer, has constructed a plan to accomplish this. Unfortunately, this has required CMLSD to make tough decisions related to Open Enrollment and Reductions in Force (RIF). Open Enrollment at the elementary level (except for staff students) will be stopped starting with the 2024/2025 school year, and 4 teaching positions will be cut through attrition. Additionally, 1 administrative and 2 teaching positions are being evaluated for reduction and those staff members have had conversations regarding their future employment. Cost-cutting measures will be evaluated in phases depending on need and encompass more than just RIF in our certified staff. This is a very sensitive matter, not only for those impacted, but also for our community, staff, and students.”
The reductions in force are accomplished through attrition where possible, followed by reductions in the “retire-rehire” population, and then based on licensure and seniority, according to the district.
The causes for projected deficits are multi-faceted, according to the district, including the loss of open enrollment revenue starting in the 2022-23 school year, the impact of inflation on the cost of goods/services/personnel, static state funding, loss of COVID funding, and lower than projected revenue from local property tax evaluations.
Each of these has resulted in either lower revenue or revenue increases lower than the rate of inflationary pressures on district costs, officials said.
The statement reads: “We continue to evaluate additional cost savings measures and will communicate them once those measures are identified. Board communication will be made available for personnel RIFs only after impacted staff have been notified and we will not provide specific employee information.
“The CMLSD Board of Education is focused on ensuring the fiscal health of the district now and in the future. The actions described above allow us to return a plan to the State of Ohio demonstrating that the Board of Education is actively engaging in proactive measures to reduce expenditures and eliminate the forecasted deficits. It is important to understand that the process of RIF is sensitive and often results in misinformation spread via social media, word of mouth, etc. The Board of Education is committed to communicating its proactive measures as soon as appropriate.”
