School officials lobby against cuts

April 16, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

A pair of local school administrators went to Columbus Wednesday in an effort to get back some of the funding cut in Gov. John Kasich’s recent budget.

Boardman Superintendent Frank Lazzeri and Treasurer Richard Santilli spoke at the Capitol against a provision by the governor to accelerate a phaseout of tangible personal-property-tax reimbursements to schools.

Santilli said Boardman stands to lose $807,399 from personal-property-tax reimbursements in the 2011-12 academic year, and that number will grow to a $1.64 million total loss the following year. Those numbers represent approximately 2 percent of Boardman’s $42 million annual budget.

Boardman already is faced with receiving $2.2 million less in total state aid next year and is the hardest-hit school district financially in the Mahoning Valley.

Santilli said the district had expected to lose a significantly lower share of its $4.1 million reimbursement because of changes outlined in House Bill 66, passed in 2005, which began the phaseout plan to schools and originally was set to be completed by 2019.

He hopes that by testifying, along with other members of the Coalition for Fiscal Fairness in Ohio, made up of about 20 districts in Ohio, the state Legislature will take note of the impact of the cuts.

Other local districts are facing similar challenges with the property-tax phaseout. Boardman’s neighbor to the east, Poland, stands to lose $410,000 (all of its scheduled reimbursement) and no longer will receive any payments, according to school officials.

And like many districts trying to balance budgets, Boardman now has to find a way to cover potentially huge deficits (upward of $6 million) beginning with the 2013 fiscal year.

Boardman’s last new levy occurred in 2003 and generated approximately $4.7 million annually; it was renewed for an additional five years in 2008.

“We’re in 2011 right now,” Santilli said. “It’s a long time, especially when you’re as lowly funded by the state as we are.”

Lazzeri has said previously that cuts likely will be necessary, and some relief could be sought with a new collective-bargaining agreement. The teachers contract expires June 30; per bargaining regulations, neither side can speculate on possible changes.