Tuesday, May 25, 1999
Ohio auditor: Dayton schools face intervention
BY JAMES HANNAH
The Associated Press
DAYTON, Ohio — The city's public schools are in a “treacherous” financial situation, and administrators should consider slashing jobs and taking other cost-cutting steps to avoid state intervention, Ohio Auditor Jim Petro said Monday.
Mr. Petro estimated that the school district will face a $14 million budget deficit by June 30 because of unrealistic financial forecasts.
“The district's fiscal condition is treacherous,” Mr. Petro said while releasing a performance audit of the school district. “There will need to be addressed a way to be sure the district doesn't slide into a very dangerous deficit position.”
Superintendent James Williams said district financial officials are actually projecting an even greater deficit — $19 million. The school district has an operating budget of $184 million.
“We feel we have to make immediate adjustments between now and the year 2000 in order to bring our house in order,” Mr. Williams said.
District officials said their budget forecast was prepared last June before the district knew the outcome of negotiations with the teachers union, how much money it would get from the state and what effect charter schools would have on enrollments.
“One area of major concern is declining enrollment,” Mr. Williams said.
He said the 26,000-student district, sixth-largest in the state, lost 3,000 students over the past three years and expects to lose an additional 2,000 this fall because of charter schools, vouchers and other programs.
The Dayton audit is the 14th of 21 to be done by Mr. Petro at the request of the legislature to identify efficiencies and improvements in the state's urban school districts.
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