Mathews schools in danger of state oversight

VIENNA

Nearly 100 residents, teachers and other school employees packed Mathews High School cafeteria Wednesday evening to hear an Ohio Department of Education official warn about the consequences of the district’s projected deficit.

The district could be in the red by about $800,000 in two years, and failure to eliminate the deficit could lead to a declaration of fiscal emergency. That means a financial planning and supervision commission would take over school finances.

“We’re very concerned about it,” said Roger Hardin, ODE assistant director of finance program services. “Fiscal emergency is downright ugly for a lot of people.”

Mathews voters are being asked to approve a five-year, 4.65-mill levy on the November ballot that would generate $680,000 annually and resolve the deficit. If the levy is defeated and deficit projections remain unchanged, Hardin warned the residents that state action is inevitable.

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