The Solon school district is nearing a financial cliff, and if nothing changes with the way the district is funded at the state level, 40 teachers each year will lose their job for the next eight years, starting today, said Superintendent Joe Regano.
At a public meeting in the auditorium, the school administration went over the problem the district is facing with phasing out of the tangible personal property tax. Regano said the district stands to lose $10.7 million over the next eight years if nothing is done. That money makes up 18 percent of the district's budget.
"Our hope is that you will understand the problem and then understand that we're asking you to be here because we're telling you we can no longer do it," Regano said. "This is the Robin Hood issue of the '80s and the tangible personal property tax of the 2000s. It has reached a level that means we can no longer subsist on our current funding."
When House Bill 66 was passed in early 2005 to phase out the TPP tax, a promise was made that hard-hit districts would be reimbursed by the state to make up for the loss of TPP dollars. That promise was not upheld after former Gov. Ted Strickland vetoed it in 2009. Now Gov. John Kasich wants to start phasing the money out starting July 1, and any tax that would have normally stayed local will go straight to the state, Regano said.
The district will lose $1.2 million every fiscal year for the next eight years on top of a 2 percent additional funding cut from the state. With the loss of this funding, Treasurer Tim Pickana projects the district will be facing a $20 million deficit by 2015. And a district cannot operate in the red.
To try and help the situation, the district asked the hundreds of people in the audience to write their lawmakers and demand a reversal. Regano, Pickana and school board President Julie Glavin will head to Columbus today to testify before the House Finance Subcommittee on Primary and Secondary Education.
"Write and write quickly," Regano said. "We're going to need every person in this room. If you don't do it, you're going to get it done to you. If you're going to stand, now is the time to stand. The premise of not being able to protect local funds will kill communities."
If nothing changes, Regano said parents can expect class sizes to rise, and the district will likely close an elementary building. Also, 40 teachers will lose their job each year.
"This is a really serious thing," Regano said. "They literally no longer listen to us. It has to be the populace. If not, there's no hope."
For more information on this situation, check the Solon Schools website starting today.
Here is a list of the representatives you can write or call to help make a difference. The address is the same for them all:
77 S. High St.
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 466-1366
(614) 644-6023
(614) 466-8100
(614) 644-5076
(614) 466-2158
(614) 466-2158
(614) 644-6041
The district already froze the salary of all administrators, and they mentioned that at last night's meeting, but they didn't mention how much money it saves. They also said they have made $6 million in cuts since 2005. Pay to play will not be implemented this year, but it could be under consideration, the superintendent said. Thanks for reading!
another thing- DOES SOLON NEED A SCHOOL BOARD?????? I THINK NOT!! Why not go from Mr Regano an his adiminitration to Mayor Drucker- Does anyone know who Michelle Rhee is???? google her- she gave a great talk to the Cleveland City Forum- it was on public tv- the culture needs to change- stop mediocrty- we are ok with our kids getting trophies for doing poorly - hey, everyone need's one- if my daughter is horrible in soccer and then receives a trophy anyway - just for tryiing is that ok?? that is what we have done to our kids- dumbed them down- they are smarter than that- who cares how you "feel"- put a lttle action behind it- reward excellence in it's place- not -"everybody needs to feel and be ok-"-do your homework Solonites!!!! get active or this scholl district will be in the dumpster in a few years- we need to be EFFECTIVE- we are not right now- no matter how much everybody thinks we are - we are not- yes- the RobinHood law is WRONG - so DO SOMETHING!!!!!!! Wake Up !!!-and yes I do do things!!! but Mr. Regano refuses to take me up on my offer to help them out- AMAZING- isin't it!
Oh my! How dare you suggest that we not reward every kid for their mediocrity by giving them a trophy for losing! What kind of a mean person are you? Do you not care about their feelings? It’s better to keep letting the kids think that they are good at something long enough for them to miss the opportunity to find their true passion.
I am a 19-year resident of Solon but I do not fear for the future of my 3 children because they are exceptional and will always be top performers because of who they are. THEY make Solon Schools exceptional! If there are 7 more students per classroom, THEY will remain at the top, I will make sure of that. Their cousins in Twinsburg are equal achievers in that district which by the way spends $2,500 less per pupil a year then Solon does and has been rated excellent with distiction 4 years in a row. The point is, parents could and should have more impact on a student's success than any teacher, school district or amount of money ever should. Period! There is nothing to fear! And yes, boo hoo to you, the superintendent and any other fear-mongerer that thinks just because we'll have a little less money it's the end of the world. Don't bother checking my post for errors, your criticism is a little hard to swallow coming from someone whos abundant use of un-associated pronouns and 49 word sentences makes their writing less then fluid.
I have not seen a list yet for the state wide gains in funding, but the list showing the districts in just the greater Cleveland area showed many. That list was shown in the PD one day during the week two weeks ago. I am assuming, if there are many districts that are gaining just in our region than there stands tombe many more statewide. Many of those school districts were shown experiencing gains at the town hall meeting as well. But who should believe anything reported in either of those places. The Plain Dealer is full of lies and deceit right?! Especially in the copying tables and spreadsheets from the state.
Yesterday, I took down a flier from Borders that shows that Solon schools are sponsoring a panel on "A Parents Role in Teen Sexuality" this month. Hmmmm, good decsion huh?
Your comments make me glad to know others in Solon are not having the wool pulled over their eyes.