Springfield Schools Hosts Chamber Members For November Meeting
BY KAREN BERGER— MIRROR REPORTER
“School lunches have gotten a lot better since I was a kid,” noted more than one Holland-Springfield Chamb-er of Commerce member on November 17.
Dining on what would be a typical school lunch – turkey wraps, tomato soup, fresh fruit, salad and cookies – chamber members filled the Springfield High School media center and learned all about how Springfield Local Schools is meeting the needs of students.
Chamber members paid for their lunches – no tax dollars were used for the event. But dollars, educational programs and unfunded mandates were among the topics shared by superintendent Kathryn Hott, treasurer Ryan Lockwood and the audience.
Current enrollment is 4,001, although Springfield typically has a 24 percent turnover in student population each year, Hott said. Changes in area districts’ transportation and athletic offerings impact enrollment, as does the economy, as fewer families can afford private or parochial tuition.
Hott noted that back when she started her career with a private school, Springfield schools weren’t a first choice for students. But now that the school system has been rated excellent or better for the past three years, 91 percent of students in the district choose Springfield.
Getting students ready for college and careers, through common core standards, means constantly adapting the curriculum, often adding more. What kids learn in kindergarten today is comparable to what most adults learned in first grade, she hears.
Teachers work closely with students to challenge them to a higher level, sometimes bussing them to another school to take courses that continually challenge them.
Using technology and data to track each child’s progress has made a tremendous difference in teaching, Hott said.
“Instead of saying, ‘You’re lousy in math,’ we can pinpoint to say, ‘You may not be good in algebra, but you’re awesome in geometry,’” Hott said.
This helps teachers tailor assistance to each child where needed.
Hott noted that Ohio lawmakers have passed dozens of mandates that impact school districts – in just one year.
“Unfunded mandates are running rampant. It presents a financial challenge to the district,” Hott said.
Another challenge is one that most educators see over the years: more reliance on the school to fill voids.
“When I grew up, family, school and church raised children. Now in a lot of cases, it’s just school,” Hott said. “Our counselors take students to doctor’s appointments, we feed them lunch, sometimes we get them clothes, and, by the way, we educate them,” Hott said.
During the chamber meeting, members also;
• Heard that January 26 is the date of the chamber’s annual banquet.
• Learned of the December 1 Christmas tree lighting in the village of Holland.
• Heard that Aflac representatives will host ’Tini Tuesdays at Ralphie’s on December 20 at 5:00 p.m.
• Recognized Sandy Blaser as ambassador of the month.
• Donated $100 to the Springfield High School JROTC program for assisting with chamber events.

Springfield Treasurer Offers Insight On School Finances
Springfield Local Schools treasurer Ryan Lockwood explained the schools’ finances with his own version of “Are You Smarter than a School Treasurer?” at the November 17 chamber meeting.
Through the game, the audience had an opportunity to learn where the district gets the $35.1 million in its general operating budget. About 67 percent, or $23.5 million, of the general fund is locally funded, while $11.5 million is from the state and $351,000 is from other sources.
District general fund expenses include $19.5 million in salaries, $7.2 million in benefits, $3.9 million in purchased services, $791,000 in supplies, $137 in capital outlay and $1.9 million in other expenses and fees.
When Lockwood arrived in the district a year ago, only nine days’ worth of cash was remaining.
“I didn’t even have enough money to make the first payroll in January, and I had to get an advance from the county auditor on the district’s tax collection,” he said. “That was scary to do the first week on the job.”
The Ohio Association of School Business Officials recommends that districts have enough carryover cash to last 75 to 95 days. The district was up to 21 days as of July, he said.
Some of the current concerns in the district are:
• The number of property reappraisals and the possibility that the district will be getting even less property tax revenue.
• The fact that the state has not yet declared its funding model for schools, which Gov. John Kasich said would change with the next biennium budget in 2012.
• The loss of state fiscal stability funds – amounting to about $900,000.
• The early loss of tangible personal property tax reimbursements, which will be phased out by 2012-13 instead of 2017 as promised by the state.
• No binding labor agreement with the unions.
• An increase in health insurance costs to $360,000 a year.
• Lower student fees, as House Bill 1 exempts students who receive free and reduced-price lunches from having to pay fees. About 43.2 percent of the district’s students receive free and reduced-price meals.