A graduation ceremony has been set for June 26, and the most recent five-year forecast shows a possible negative general fund balance in four years, it was reported at Monday’s Hillsboro Board of Education meeting.
During his report to the board, superintendent Tim Davis said an outdoor graduation ceremony has been set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, June 26, with a rain date of Sunday, June 28 at 7:30 p.m.
“We have a plan set in place, but right now we have to wait and see how it’s going to turn out,” Davis said.
He said plans for a ceremony at Richards Memorial Field on the former school site or at the soccer fields at the current school site will be announced by June 15. He said the soccer field may be a better location because it is more handicap accessible and because of the track around the facility.
Treasurer Ben Teeters said that while he hopes things will improve as time passes, the school’s latest five-year forecast, which the school is required to send the state twice a year, shows a negative general fund balance by 2024.
“We think it will improve, but we have to plan on what we know today,” Teeters said.
He said the state reduced the funding it provides the school district by nearly $400,000 in May and June. He said his forecast anticipates a 25 percent reduction in income tax revenue for fiscal years 2021 and 2022, although after that he expects to the district to start recovering from income reductions due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. He said the state has not said how school financing is going to be impacted when July 1 rolls around.
Teeters also said he made his forecast conservatively, rather than being optimistic.
He said the April financial report showed the school district with a general fund balance of $8.36 million compared to $8.17 million the same time a year ago. Expenses for April were $2.16 million, compared to $2.24 million a year ago, and revenue for April was $2.22 million, compared to $2.77 million the year before.
In other matters, Davis thanked the city of Hillsboro for donating to Senior Week at the school. He said the city set up a scholarship fund for the school district and provided each senior with some type of coupon or gift certificate.
The superintendent also said a traffic report for a new road that will lead from behind the middle school/high school to SR 247 has been submitted to the Ohio Department of Transportation. He said weather has delayed the project somewhat, but that he still hopes the road will be completed by the beginning of the new school year.
Board member Larry Lyons reported that work on the new auditorium at the middle school/high school is progressing well. He said the project is probably seven to 10 days behind schedule due to weather, but that approximately 70 percent of the masonry work has been completed and other parts of the project are moving along.
Davis said it will likely be December before the project is finished.
The board unanimously approved lunch prices for the coming year that are the same as last year: $2.25 for an elementary student lunch, $2.50 for high school and middle school student lunches, 40 cents for a reduced-price lunch, 40 cents for an extra milk, and $4 for an adult lunch.
The board also accepted several donations. Donations toward food service included an anonymous donation of $100, $50 from Jonathon and Cathy Campbell, $100 from Patrick and Shari Connealy, $100 from Brian and Heather Cummings, $500 from John and Shawanda Duncan, $50 from Lisa Eidenier, $50 from Robert and Pamela Gumbert, $200 from Jay and Debra Jones, $50 from Brandon and Jocelyn Leeth, $500 from James and Caitlin Oppenheimer, $50 from Brian and Wendy Price and $100 from Jennifer West.
Other donations included $155 from Chad Abbot Signs for Hillsboro senior signs that were placed around the track and field complex, $125 from Dee Brown for fifth graders at Camp Joy, $140 from Debra Duffy for Camp Joy, $75 from Hartley Oil for staff appreciation awards and $500 from the Hillsboro Junior Women’s Club for Camp Joy.
“These are just wonderful people in a community that we live in that’s always willing to give and to help our students. We greatly appreciate it,” board president Bill Myers said.
Reach Jeff Gilliland at 937-402-2522.
