FORT THOMAS — Money has taken center stage in the race for the Fort Thomas school board.

        The problem is simple: There's not enough.

        Criticizing a lack of state funding, all four candidates say the school district's tight budget is the No. 1 issue. But each has his or her own ideas on how to solve the problem, from tax increases to private donations to tighter purse strings.

        Four newcomers — Nancy Johnson Baker, Jeffrey Beach, Eric Steinman and Simon Sapsford — are vying for two four-year terms. Sixteen-year board member Ken Honchell and Teri Morris, who served four years, are not seeking re-election.

        Most say the district's money woes pushed them to run.

        “It's all about money,” said Mr. Steinman, 40, an executive with Deluxe Engraving Co. in Cincinnati.

        Under the Kentucky Department of Education's funding formula — designed to equalize funding — every district gets a set amount of money per student. But that figure can vary from district to district based on factors such as transportation costs or local funding.

        Districts with high property values, such as Fort Thomas, bring in more local taxes, so they get less state money.

        Mr. Steinman — a Fort Thomas alumnus who has a 5- and 7-year-old at Summit Country Day, a Cincinnati private school — said his top priority would be to lobby the state to change that formula. Meanwhile, he said, the board needs to tighten its belt to work within its limited budget.

        “We need to draw the line between what we need and what we want,” he said, adding that all available dollars should go to classroom instruction, making teacher salaries competitive and maintaining school buildings.

        But the board can't wait for the state to change its mind to get more money for the district, said Mrs. Baker, 47, accounts receivable manager for Johnson Electric Supply Co., a family-owned business in Cincinnati, and manager of the Blue Marble, a children's bookstore in Fort Thomas.

        Fort Thomas schools' property rate is 65.3 cents per $100 of assessed value. The 2,300-student district's general fund is about $10.8 million.

        “We can't continue to function on the kind of income we're getting,” Mrs. Baker said, pointing to needed repairs at Highlands High and Woodfill Elementary schools.

        Mrs. Baker, a Fort Thomas alumna and mother of four students in the district, has been involved in parent-teacher organizations, school councils and district committees. While she agrees the board should urge the state to change its policies, the district needs to find other methods, such as grants, to boost its income.

        Mr. Beach and Mr. Sapsford also said the district needs to seek private sources to supplement the budget in addition to lobbying for a change in state funding.

        Mr. Beach, a 30-year-old product development manager for Fifth Third Bank, said his financial experience would help the board manage its money. A Carrolton, Ky., native, Mr. Beach got involved with the Fort Thomas schools a couple of years ago through district committees.

        Much like nonprofit organizations and universities, the district needs to become more of a fund-raiser, seeking donations and boosting its foundation to bring in money to improve facilities and boost teacher salaries, Mr. Beach said.

        “This school district has always prided itself on being able to get and keep the best teachers,” he said. “That's becoming harder when salaries can't compete with those right across the river.”

        Both Mr. Beach and Mrs. Baker said, if necessary, they would support a tax increase over cutting teachers or programs. However, Mr. Steinman said he would not favor raising taxes because the community would not support it.

        Mr. Sapsford, 41, a structural engineer with KZF Design, Inc. in Cincinnati, was unavailable for an interview. In campaign materials, however, he said that the board must use its long-term plans to prioritize how money is spent.

        A Fort Thomas graduate, Mr. Sapsford served on the Woodfill school council and has a seventh- and ninth-grader in Fort Thomas schools and a second-grader at Cornerstone Montessori School.

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