Mantua – At their last meeting, District Treasurer Sarah Palm presented board members with a basic summary of Ohio House Bill 110 — the Fair School Funding Plan. According to Palm, this new funding initiative provides funding to districts based on what some refer to as “butts in seats” — providing direct enrollment funding to the institutions where students are enrolled.
The amount of funding a district receives is based on actual enrollment, and takes into account historical numbers, current enrollment, and projected enrollment in calculating the amount of funding each district will receive. In addition, the amount of money a district receives per student will rise to account for increasing costs. Previously, Palm noted that the state allocated roughly $6,020 per pupil to the district, lower than the actual cost to educate a student. The new plan establishes a new, higher per pupil amount, which will be increased as costs continue to rise. According to Palm, Crestwood will receive $7,202 per pupil in 2022, with slight increases phased in annually through 2026. The amount a district receives per student also reflects a revised per pupil portion which is based on local property tax and income figures (at 60% and 40% respectively).
Palm noted that the way district transportation costs are funded is still being ‘tweaked” and noted that Crestwood would most likely receive additional funds in this area. Lastly, Palm noted that the new plan ascertains that districts like Crestwood, which rely on guaranteed funding, will not receive any less funding than they received in 2021. For more details, view Ms. Palm’s presentation to the board by visiting crestwoodschools.org to view the meeting video.
Next, the Board declined the one bid the district received for the High and Middle School complex HVAC system improvement project, since the cost came in 20% higher than the price established by the board for the project. The established cost was estimated by contractors a year prior. In the time that has elapsed, both material and labor costs have increased dramatically. Delays due to supply chain issues mean that some equipment wouldn’t arrive for an estimated six months, further complicating the project. In addition, construction crews are highly sought-after, adding to higher project costs.
After some discussion, the board agreed to redesign the project to reduce costs, as well as moving proposed installation from summer 2022 until summer 2023. The revised project scope and bid package will be discussed at the board’s next regular meeting on Tuesday, March 8th at 7 pm at the board office at Crestwood Middle School.
