More cuts to come if school levy fails

BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (WDTN) - Beavercreek City Schools officials said Tuesday they will implement an additional $2.5 million in cuts if the district's 6.7 mill operating levy fails March 6.

Superintendent Nick Verhoff said elementary art, music, and physical education classes will be reduced by half, and the number of middle school and high school electives offered will decrease. Special education assistant positions will be cut, along with 3.5 more administrative positions, eliminating a total of 25 additional staff positions.

Iwona Goodrich's daughter attends Shaw Elementary.

"I am very concerned about the cuts, and how they will impact my daughter," she said.

Verhoff said the reductions will bring the district's total administrative staff cuts to 16 percent.

"If we don't get more revenue we have to keep cutting programs," Verhoff said.

Pay-to-participate fees will also increase to $300 per sport for all high school students and $200 per sport for middle school students.

"These cuts will have a significant impact on the quality of our educational programs, but we have no other choice," said Al Nels, president of the Beavercreek Board of Education. "We must address the district's budget deficit, and have very few tools at our disposal to do so."

School officials are already making $13 million in cuts, and have eliminated more than 60 staff positions to date, as well as transportation for all high school and middle school students living within two miles of their school buildings.

Verhoff said district leaders are holding a series of roundtable discussions called "Community Conversations" throughout February to offer residents the chance to ask questions about taxation, expenditures and other aspects of Beavercreek Schools' operations. Dates for these discussions can be found on the home page of the district Web site at www.beavercreek.k12.oh.us and on all schools' Web sites as well.