MEDINA, Ohio – If Issue 16, the Medina City School district’s proposed 7.5-mill, 10-year emergency levy, fails, Nov. 5, the district has plans to make $8 million in permanent reductions for the 2025-26 school year as well as in subsequent school years.
The school board approved a proposed reduction plan earlier this month and the plan will be implemented for next school year if the levy fails.
“These are massive reductions that would change the face of our district if the levy fails,” Superintendent Aaron Sable said. “We have always taken pride in providing a strong educational experience for our students, but there are some tough decisions we will have to make if the levy fails.”
Sable also pointed out that it has been more than a decade since the district asked the community for new levy funds. He said that, if approved, these new levy funds would be used to maintain what the district has already created as opposed to adding programming.
“What we are facing is a revenue issue, not a spending issue,” he said. “Just like everyone else, we are impacted by inflation and increasing costs, so it costs more to maintain these services.”
The levy is expected to generate roughly $14.4 million annually for 10 years and would cost the owner of a $100,000 property about $263 per year. Funds collected from the levy would be used for operating funds, or the day-to-day expenses in the district.
Under the reduction plan, neighborhood elementary schools will transition into grade level buildings with one building housing kindergarten, another housing first grade, another second grade, another third grade and another fourth grade. Sable said this move would allow the district to reduce personnel with less impact on academics.
Fifth grade would be moved to A.I. Root, transitioning it to a fifth and sixth grade building. Claggett will be a junior high building for seventh and eighth graders.
Middle school teaming will be eliminated and electives and AP offerings at the high school will be reduced. Gifted services will be eliminated.
High school busing will be eliminated and media services, curriculum instruction coaches and counseling and mental health supports will be reduced. Budgets for safety and security upgrades as well as for building and departmental budgets will be reduced.
Pay-to-participate fees will change and there will also be reductions in coaching and supplemental contracts.
Staff reductions will include three administrators, three prevention staff members, 15 support staff and 50 teachers.
The school district placed an issue on the ballot last November which included a combined 6.5-mill operating levy and a 2.83-mill bond issue which voters rejected. Back in March, the district placed a 7.5-mill continuous levy on the ballot and voters also rejected that measure.
Since the failure of these two levies, the district has made a combined $4 million in budget reductions after being placed on precaution status by the Ohio Department of Education because Medina’s five-year forecast showed the district would go into deficit spending by the third year of the forecast.
“There are different levels including ‘fiscal watch’ and ‘fiscal emergency,’” Sable said. “At that point the state will come in and make sure we are making necessary reductions and we would lose the choice of what those reductions would be.”
Sable also reminded that if the levy fails and once next year’s reductions are in place, it could take possibly decades to restore the academic services and opportunities the district currently offers.
