Huron Board of Education candidates say how the district should fix its current budget crisis

HURON – The Huron Board of Education candidates told Huron Insider about how they think Huron City Schools should fix its current budget crisis.

This was one of seven questions on a questionnaire that all of the candidates responded to. Huron Insider will be posting one of the questions along with the responses each night this week (August 15-August 21). These articles can be found here.

The Huron Board of Education candidates are John C. Adams, Sherry Catri, Stacey Hartley, Ryan Hathaway, Stacy Hinners, Kimberly King, Andra Kurtz, and Elizabeth Laffay.

The candidates answers to the question “How should Huron City Schools fix its current budget crisis?” are below.

Adams:

Without currently sitting on the BOE and having a command of the facts and figures, once again, armchair quarterbacking works great…from your armchair. However, principles of financial responsibility should always be followed. There will always be the battle of the budgets, but, in my opinion, there should remain a “students first” viewpoint when it comes to these difficult decisions. Transparency, more communication and open communication with residents should always be a top priority when it comes to attempting to fix budget crises.

Catri:

The folks I have spoken with are not against a levy; they feel the district is asking for more money than the taxpayer can afford.  Instead of looking at what will be eliminated if the levy fails, perhaps we should be looking at cost reductions and funding opportunities that would allow the district to drop the millage requested.  Reducing busing and eliminating sports could be detrimental.  Money saved in these two areas may easily cost the district more as families open enroll their children in neighboring districts.
These are some examples of areas that could be explored:

• Has the district looked into consortiums for bulk purchases? (i.e. copy paper, office supplies, janitorial supplies)
• Has the district met with other districts in regards to school calendars?  I know the unions work with administration and vote on a schedule, but is it possible for districts to work together?  The transportation department could save a significant chunk of money with out of district transportation if the district was on the same school calendar.
• Are there funding opportunities available that may have been missed, for example elective classes related to career-tech?
• Continue the practice of reduction of staff through attrition when possible.

Repurposing McCormick, in my opinion, should be done regardless of the levy.  Our student enrollment does not support the need for four buildings and the savings is significant.  Repurposing does not mean the district would dispose of the building.  It means it would no longer be used as classroom space.

Hartley:

The district needs to maximize its savings and stop giving corporate tax breaks so easily. Cut the waste and be more careful with taxpayers money.

We need a solid understanding of all the savings the district can find. The last place cuts should be made is in areas directly affect students. The district’s quick move to cut busing for high school students felt like a punishment for voters saying no to the levy. I think the administrators should have looked to their own salaries as a way to find $50,000 to cut, before they recommended a choice to create hardship for dozens of district families. But the board approved the administrators’ recommendation, so ultimately that decision is on them.

The district needs to look critically at its abatements. When periodic reviews take place, if a business hasn’t met its part of the commitment, the district needs to ask the hard questions about whether to continue the abatement. Our district continues to negotiate with property owners who fight their fair tax due after purchasing a commercial property; businesses need to pay their share of support for our schools.

Before the district can come to the voters asking for new money, it must demonstrate it is being fiscally responsible and eliminating all waste and inefficiencies. It has to regain the trust of the public. Then it needs to work with the public to determine the best path forward. No threats and coercion for the voters. Honest discussions and earnest collaborations are how we will move forward.

Hathaway:

Without currently being a board member I do not feel equipped with the information needed to comment on the budget crisis and the issues therein. I will say that I believe we need to ensure we are giving our kids and our teachers the tools necessary to be successful and thrive. However, these details need to be made public, so that the community feels they WANT to play a part in the success of our District. I am a firm believer in fiscal responsibility and making decisions with our children in mind. The residents of Huron should always be a part of the decision-making process for any budget decisions.

Hinners:

First, as a community (Board, City and Township), we must stop giving away new revenue sources through TIF’s and tax abatements. The recent developments at Cedar Fair/Sawmill Creek and Ardagh could have generated hundreds of thousands of dollars annually in new revenue for our schools; they could have solved nearly half the current deficit. Instead, our schools will see a small fraction of that revenue for the next 15-30 years – at a time when they desperately need every dollar. There are other effective ways to incentivize economic development; we work with the City Council and Township Trustees to end the practice of giving away school revenue to fund private development.

Second, we must take an honest look at our expenditures and make difficult decisions about how to best use our resources. Confirm whether we’ve truly cut all unnecessary expenses – especially those that can be cut without directly affecting students. Dig into whether we are spending the millions of ESSER dollars allocated most effectively. Assess our facilities and ask whether there are effecticies to be gained through combining facilities. Before the District goes to the voters asking them to pay more money, it must confirm it’s saved every possible dollar – and is asking only for what it absolutely needs.

King:

I won’t claim to be a financial advisor. I think we need to trust that the people we have chosen and hired for the job will lead the school in the right direction for financial stability. If we determine they are not leading us in the right direction then it needs to be challenged with actionable things that need changed.

Kurtz:

If the tax payers do not approve the levy as proposed, we need to take a detailed look at the money coming in as well as going out. We need to find the best way to trim the budget without sacrificing our children’s education, and physical and emotional health.

Laffay:

The community spoke loudly last spring with a resounding ‘no’ vote regarding the levy. As a part of the community, I am inclined to think it had much to do with a perceived lack of transparency on the part of the board, combined with misinformation circulating on social media. I have had the opportunity to make myself available during school board meetings and was surprised to know many details of the budget that I had previously not understood. Our school system needs restructuring regardless, and restructuring can help decrease the amount of operating money it may need, however it will never be enough to keep our status quo. Our school system is in a financial crisis, and though wildly unpopular, one way forward is our first levy increase in 16 years. Our other options are also unattractive. We are a small community who pride ourselves on a strong school system; if we were to have to enact severe cuts, families can easily opt for “school of choice” in this era and it may be that we never are able to recover. I would strongly encourage open communication with the acting superintendent, treasurer and/or current board members on this topic if anyone would like accurate information. I personally have found this extremely helpful in order to make an informed decision at the polls for myself.