BY SUE KIESEWETTER
Enquirer Contributor
FAIRFIELD -- An operating levy request for Fairfield City Schools has been postponed, at least for 1998.
The school board on Monday canceled plans to put a levy of between 2.9 mills and 4.9 mills on the November ballot. The decision was made after revised financial projections by district Treasurer Jim Rowan showed the district will end the upcoming school year with a deficit of just under $40,000, instead of the anticipated $439,000. Contingency funds can be used to bring the ending balance to zero, Mr. Rowan said.
The district had been projecting a June 1999 deficit of about $439,000, but final figures from the Ohio Department of Education increased last spring's projected $16.5 million state aid figure. That changed the projected deficit to slightly more than $305,000 in June 2000.
By closely monitoring purchases and using the contingency fund, the district could probably end the 1999-2000 school year with a near-zero balance, Mr. Rowan said.
"We know we can get through one year, we hope more," district Superintendent Charles Wiedenmann said following Monday's meeting. "I can't justify going to the public for more money. We don't like being on the ballot. We only go when we need to. We've kept our promise to the voters."
Voters approved a 2-mill levy in November that the board said would last a year until the district learned how much state aid it would receive. A permanent improvement levy was renewed by voters in May.
Next spring, the district will re-examine its financial position and will likely begin discussing a ballot issue for late 1999, Mr. Wiedenmann said.
