By Cindy Kranz
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Five school districts in Hamilton and Clermont counties will soon begin whittling their budgets after losing levies in Tuesday's election.

Everything is under scrutiny, administrators say: Teachers, extracurriculars, technology, maintenance, transportation. Cuts in the districts range from $500,000 to $2.1 million for next school year.

Williamsburg is already making changes: the air conditioning in the buildings won't be as cool this spring.

"It's hard for me to use the word 'cuts,' '' Williamsburg Superintendent Thomas Durbin said Wednesday. "We cut three years ago. We're still 11 teachers below where we were at that time."

It's frustrating for Durbin, whose district's state rating rose from Academic Watch to Effective in one year. The district gained the most indicators in the state - nine - on the 2002-'03 Local Report Card.

Yet his district's five-year levy request still lost, 53 percent to 47 percent.

All told, 18 school districts in Hamilton, Clermont, Butler and Warren counties fielded 19 issues on the primary election ballot. Districts around the state have been hit with cuts and changes in school funding that forced them to go to the polls with larger levies than usual.

Eleven of those 19 issues were rejected by voters, but superintendents Wednesday blamed the results on a taxpayers' revolt, not a vote against their schools.

Statewide, 108 of the 228 school issues - 47 percent - on the ballot were approved.

"It's just people's resistance to paying increased property taxes," said Three Rivers Superintendent Rhonda Bohannon. "People are really tired of the way schools are funded in Ohio and are fighting public school systems instead of the state legislature."

But John Janszen, a member of Citizens for Responsible Taxation, said the overwhelming defeat of the Three Rivers school levy (76 percent to 24 percent) was due to what he described as the district's ineffective communication with residents.

Janszen, who lives in the district, said Three Rivers officials "could have done a much more effective job by doing a full financial disclosure."

He said the anti-tax group's efforts, which included recent full-page ads in community newspapers against the school levy, was instrumental in defeating the levy. But, he added, his group plans to meet with school officials to offer support in solving Three Rivers' financial woes.

In Hamilton County, three of six districts - Madeira, St. Bernard-Elmwood Place and Loveland - approved levies. (Loveland lost in Hamilton County, but the district includes parts of Clermont and Warren counties. Clermont put the district in the winners column by 116 votes.)

In Clermont County, two of four districts - West Clermont and Batavia - were victorious.

Losing districts - Reading, Three Rivers, Winton Woods, Clermont Northeastern and Williamsburg - might be back on the ballot this year.

Meanwhile, the belt-tightening begins.

• Reading: The district anticipates making $500,000 in cuts for next school year, including cutting as many as four of 106 teachers.

Superintendent Scott Inskeep expects the district will be back on the ballot in August or November.

• Winton Woods: The school board must cut $2.1 million from next year's budget. District officials say they will solicit residents' input before making reductions. A public meeting will be held before the March 22 school board meeting.

• Three Rivers: The 2,200-student district must cut $1.2 million for next school year.

"It will affect almost every operation of the school district: personnel, reduction in extracurriculars or an increase in pay-to-participate fees, transportation, supplies and materials," Bohannon said. She expects the board to consider another levy attempt this year.

• Clermont Northeastern: Charles Shreve, superintendent of the Clermont Northeastern Local School District, expects that district's levy to return to the ballot this year.

The district faces a $1.1 million deficit in the 2005-'06 school year. The district had hoped to avoid cuts for 2004-'05, he said, but may have to reconsider.

• Williamsburg: Durbin will recommend to the school board another levy try in November. Meanwhile, the district will have to make decisions soon about cuts, but no amount has been specified, he said.

Five Hamilton and Clermont county school boards that were dealt levy setbacks will discuss cuts and future levy attempts at upcoming meetings:

Reading: 6:30 p.m. March 17, Reading Jr./Sr. High media center.

Three Rivers: 7:30 p.m. Monday, Taylor High School.

Winton Woods: 7 p.m. March 22, Board Office.

Clermont Northeastern: 7 p.m. March 18, Early Childhood Education Center, Board Office.

Williamsburg: 6 p.m. March 15, Middle/High School, Room 202.

Enquirer reporter Michael Clark contributed. E-mail ckranz@enquirer.com.