A performance audit of the Springfield school district says it may have to lay off staff and significantly increase class sizes to eliminate budget deficits.
Auditor of State Dave Yost’s team made recommendations in an audit released Tuesday that would cut the district’s costs by $2.6 million annually. Most of the savings would come from cutting 37 general-education teaching positions, increasing average class sizes by more than five students per teacher.
The district currently averages just under 20 students per general-education teacher, which was on par with peer districts the auditors used as a comparison. Ohio requires at least one teacher for every 25 students. Going to the state minimum would save the district about $2.17 million annually.
“While it is not common practice in Ohio to operate at or near state minimums, SLSD may need to make significant staffing reductions to address the deficits in its five-year forecast,” auditors wrote.
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Additional recommendations include reducing three educational service personnel positions — which include art, music, and physical education teachers, counselors, librarians, social workers, and visiting teachers; cutting sick-leave severance payments to employees, and reduced pay for classified employees.
Even if the district were to implement all the audit’s recommendations, it would still face budget deficits. The audit shows Springfield district residents have a below-average school-tax burden compared to other Ohio school districts based on a metric called the Local Tax Effort Index, which takes into account median income and tax rates.
In most cases, the Springfield district has less staff per pupil than peer districts, including in administration and operations staff, according to the audit.
The audit became a requirement when the state designated Springfield as being in fiscal caution because its fiscal-year deficit was 3.75 percent of its budget. Next year's district budget is projected to have a 11.23 percent deficit.
“Economic factors are stacked against Springfield Schools right now,” Mr. Yost said in a statement. “The district should use every feasible opportunity to offset them.”
The district will present the audit findings to the public at 7 p.m. today at Springfield High School.
School board President Keiran Menacher said she doesn’t believe the community wants the district to cut the 41 positions recommended by the performance audit, and noted that the district would still be facing a deficit if it made those layoffs.
“We can’t cut our way out of this,” she said.
The district will again be on the ballot next month with a five-year emergency levy that would generate $3.8 million per year. If it fails May 5, the district plans to cut $4 million in annual expenses, including teacher layoffs and elimination of athletics. Springfield reduced student transportation to the state-minimum level Dec. 1 following a previous levy defeat in November.
Contact Nolan Rosenkrans at: nrosenkrans@theblade.com or 419-724-6086, or on Twitter @NolanRosenkrans.
First Published April 22, 2015, 4:00 a.m.
