By Michael D. Clark
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NORTH BEND - Come fall, students in Three Rivers School District will have fewer teachers, lose some bus service, pay higher fees to play sports and have no field trips. That's the result of $1.3 million in budget cuts that were unanimously approved Monday after rejection of a levy earlier this month.

Three Rivers officials told more than 70 residents Monday evening at Taylor High School that the cuts are among the most severe in the history of the 2,200-student, western Hamilton County district.

"These are the worst cuts I can remember," said board president Brian Koelling, a graduate of Taylor.

Three Rivers joins other Greater Cincinnati districts, including Fairfield, Lakota, Reading and Clermont Northeastern, where March 2 levy defeats are leading to cuts in busing, sports and personnel.

The school board voted 4-0, with board member Danny Stacy absent, to approve the reductions, which include nine teaching positions. Voters' rejection of a $4.5 million operating levy has forced Three Rivers officials to move quickly on a series of personnel and program cuts for next school year while the school board considers putting another, smaller property tax increase on the August or November ballot.

The elimination of bus service for high school students left Scott Hudson wondering how his son, a soon-to-be freshman, will get to class.

"We've got to figure out some way to get him to school," said Hudson, who added that he was "disappointed and surprised by the levy defeat."

Parent Cathy Byess said she wanted school board officials, who have until May 20 to file a tax issue for the Aug. 3 ballot, to understand that "our kids are being affected by this more than anyone else."

Taylor High School English teacher Matt Meyer praised Bohannon for "being very up front" about the cuts. But Meyer, who is president of the Three Rivers Education Association that represents 90 of the district's 150 teachers, said the job cuts will harm the quality of education.

"Everybody that works with kids in school is important," Meyer said.

E-mail mclark@enquirer.com