'Three-year' levy to last two years

You better start learning to vote No! They will never start taking your money until you do.

hummmmmm a little white lie so the next request will come sooner.

This is getting ridiculous!

Welcome to the real world Worthington! Unless you get the state of Ohio to change the way they fund schools then this will keep happening to schools all over the state

Awww poor Worthington! I think it's hilarious that this news is coming on the heels of the local income tax increase that was just voted in. Serves you all right - this is what happens when you become mindless sheep and eagerly hand over all your money. You cooked this stew, Worthington. Now lap it up!!!

Before everyone goes off "half-cocked", take some time to understand what s truly happening. When you have stagnant growth, the school gets no increase in tax dollars on the inside millage, which is the only actual funding increase the school can get, usually less than on half of one percent, or less. There is a decrease in overall wages, so any income tax revenues for school purposes decrease a corresponding amount, i.e., 3% reduction in income is a 3% reduction in schoo taxes. Those are economic forces, NOT superintendent or board of education malfeasance. Therefore, since five year forecasts require "historical trending" of the past five years, all forecasts are now suspect as to accuracy. However, the treasurers are following their required duties, so everyone ends up having "egg on their face".

The only constant now become the spending issue, and fuel has NOT decreased, utilities have NOT decreased, supplies and materials have NOT decreased, and wages and benefits have not remained flat, or decreased. Now, you don't even need to have taken algebra to figure out what this result will be (at least I hope so). If you can't figure this out, you may simply call for increased taxes, or if simply math phobic, you may call for voting "NO" on taxes, without understanding the real issue. Sometimes you need to scold those that don't learn very well, both those who are overly optimistic and those who are anti-everything.

Having had my tirade, now take the time to re-open the contract (yes, you can do that), determine your costs at an equivalent rate found in the private sector (probably zero), and see what your shortfall will be in five years. Then factor in your high end costs (salaries, retirement costs, and insurances) and see how you can attain a zero sum cost to income ratio. But do this in a way that does not overly punish your educators and support staff. Also, knock out the blarney of administration being so high cost. That is a red herring if you look at the Cupp Report, and analyze any Chamber of Commerce data on supervisory positions per employee.

What the result should be, is an honest effort in balancing budgets, ensuring high quality education, and maintaining community pride. If the naysayers are still going bonkers, just take them to a local pub and they can solve all the world's problems, because they probably are having some real difficult personal/financial issues themselves. Help them too if you can.

Ummm what "program cuts"? All that they do is create task forces to study, study, study until everyone who would be affected screams and then they throw it on the pile of all the other cost cutting studies that have never been acted upon.

Ohio School District playbook:
1. Spend whatever you want
2. When you run out of money, threaten to cut sports, buses, etc.
3. Depend on the taxpaying sheep to pass the levy
4. Repeat...

We will all be moving to the 1,100 sq. ft. house because we won't be able to afford the tax increases that the schools are talking about. How can the teachers and staff even be talking about 3-5% pay increases each year when the private sector is still cutting pay and jobs? Someone in the Worthington Schools better start teaching a class about reality---and it's not the children who need this course!

Give me, Give me, Give me That'a all i ever hear from you !!! The **** with Liar's

The key is in the numbers below.... a 18.1 million dollar increase in spending in four years. What the **** is that? I would vote no in a heartbeat and not feel the least bit guilty. This is a raping.

Beginning this year, the district is spending more money than it is collecting. Expenditures in 2010 are expected to be $115.2-million. Revenue is estimated at $112.6-million.

Without a levy or additional spending cuts, the trend accelerates through 2114, when spending is expected to be $133.3-million and revenue $111.4-million, creating a $15.6-million deficit by the end of that year.

Hooked on Fonics wrote:

The key is in the numbers below.... a 18.1 million dollar increase in spending in four years. What the **** is that? I would vote no in a heartbeat and not feel the least bit guilty. This is a raping.
Beginning this year, the district is spending more money than it is collecting. Expenditures in 2010 are expected to be $115.2-million. Revenue is estimated at $112.6-million.
Without a levy or additional spending cuts, the trend accelerates through 2114, when spending is expected to be $133.3-million and revenue $111.4-million, creating a $15.6-million deficit by the end of that year.

Obama economics, welcome my friend.

DOH! When will they learn they need to get the unions out of the mix to ever solve the problem!

Worthington tax payer wrote:

Ummm what "program cuts"? All that they do is create task forces to study, study, study until everyone who would be affected screams and then they throw it on the pile of all the other cost cutting studies that have never been acted upon.
Ohio School District playbook:
1. Spend whatever you want
2. When you run out of money, threaten to cut sports, buses, etc.
3. Depend on the taxpaying sheep to pass the levy
4. Repeat...

AMEN! And this MUST STOP! Cut the most significant expense: Union Contracts!

NO NO NO NO NO NO!!

The evil union just took a 0. You guys really need to educate yourselves.

Hooked on Fonics wrote:

The key is in the numbers below.... a 18.1 million dollar increase in spending in four years. What the **** is that? I would vote no in a heartbeat and not feel the least bit guilty. This is a raping.
Beginning this year, the district is spending more money than it is collecting. Expenditures in 2010 are expected to be $115.2-million. Revenue is estimated at $112.6-million.
Without a levy or additional spending cuts, the trend accelerates through 2114, when spending is expected to be $133.3-million and revenue $111.4-million, creating a $15.6-million deficit by the end of that year.

The more you give them the more they will spend. While I think the Worthington school district is excellent I believe they need to use a LOT of common sense before they do all their planned and endlessly talked about student shuffling. Moving X number of students from this building to that building does not change the number of students. It doesn't matter if you group the students by kindergarten through 6th grade or all kindergarten in the same building or separate the students so that kindergarten through 3rd grade attend the same schools and 4th and 5th grade attend the same schools. You still have the same number of students. Can someone explain to me where the savings from all this student shuffling would come from? Except for the increased transportation costs you are using the same number of educators in the same number of buildings. Where would these magic savings come from? This sounds like the same ecomomic logic we get from Obama and the Global Warming...I'm sorry, Climate Change folks (gotta keep up and the latest label for that bit of bologna but that's another topic).

When does this crap end? Schools have a hand in our pocket book 24-7. They lie to all. They waste money. They overpay for employees and their benefits. It's corporate America all over again.

I'm sure you mindless sheep in Worthington will gladly approve the next levy. You'll tell yourself it's for the kids and will preserve your property values.

The school teachers and administrators will get their big, fat raises, excellent benefit packages, and pensions; and won't even say thank you.

Then come back for more money in 1-2 more years.

LL, the savings comes from economy of scale. Let's say that I have 65 kids at a specific grade in one building and 35 kids in another for a total of 100 kids. In the first building, I'd need 3 teachers (class size=21.6) because the class size with two teachers (32.5) is too high. In the second building, I'd need 2 teachers (class size of 17.5) because the class size with 1 teacher (35) is too high. This is a total of 5 teachers for 100 kids. By combining these grades in a single building, I have 100 kids and 4 teachers (class size=25) and would need one less teacher. Doing this across the district would result in considerable savings. The issue is whether residents and taxpayers think that the savings is worth the loss of neighborhood elementary schools that kids can attend for the first 7 years of their school experience.

so fall already enough is enough