Princeton City School District's Post-Levy Update
Sharonville, OH — December 10, 2024 — The Princeton City School District has announced immediate and potential budget adjustments following the failure of the November 5, 2024, levy. These measures aim to preserve educational opportunities while addressing significant funding gaps.
Superintendent G. Elgin Card emphasized community support: "We deeply value our community's support for public education and understand concerns about rising costs. The Board and administrative team are committed to reducing expenses with minimal impact on student learning and preserving the Princeton Advantage."
Key details include:
Immediate Estimated Savings: $472,192 will be saved during the 2024-25 school year through a hiring freeze, reduced professional development, and operational cost adjustments.
Upcoming Reductions: $5,299,378 in reductions will be made during the 2025-2026 school year.
Long-term Adjustments: If additional funding isn't secured by 2025, deeper cuts will follow in 2026-2027, including additional staff reductions and operational changes.
Transportation Changes: Starting in January 2025, Secondary Activity Buses for after-school programs will no longer run on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Field Trip Adjustments: Only trips fully funded by grants will be considered.
Operational Cost Reductions: Summer building closures and delayed maintenance projects will contribute $230,000 of the immediate estimated savings, with $1,260,000 more projected to be reduced in 2025-2026.
The district has reduced over 40 positions in the past two years, mostly through attrition, and further consolidations may occur as retirements or staff departures arise. Additionally, non-essential substitute staffing will be eliminated.
Treasurer Chris Poetter highlighted the fiscal reality: “The levy failure leaves a $10.6 million loss in revenue for 2025, making budget adjustments critical to maintaining a sound financial outlook."
Looking Ahead:
A levy proposal may return to the ballot in 2025.
Community feedback is being actively sought during Listening Sessions in each community.
The district website has more information and updates at https://www.princetonschools.net/page/levy. The dates for the Community Listening Sessions will be posted soon.
The Princeton City School District remains committed to transparency and fiscal responsibility while prioritizing student success and community partnership. Princeton remains loyal to its mission of “Empowering each student for college, career, and life success.”
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For media inquiries, please contact:
Tricia Roddy, Director of Communications
3900 Cottingham Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45241
513.864.1093
Due to the failure of the November 5, 2024, school levy in the Princeton City School District, the Board of Education approved a resolution announcing planned and potential cost reductions for the current and next two school years. The potential funding cuts will depend upon passing a levy in 2025, staffing changes due to retirements, people leaving the district to take a position in another district, and other cost reductions that minimally impact student learning.
“After listening to voters and stakeholders, we found that our community members do support our public schools and the unique opportunities Princeton offers,” explains G. Elgin Card, superintendent. “However, voters are concerned about their bills and paying taxes. We get that, and the rising costs affect schools as well. Therefore, the Board and our administrative team have worked together to find ways to streamline costs and identify areas of reduction. We know keeping a trim budget is important. We are working to minimize the impact on our students' learning and opportunities considered the Princeton Advantage.”
Treasurer Chris Poetter explains, "The levy failure leaves a $10.6 million loss in revenue for 2025, making budget adjustments critical to maintaining a sound financial outlook." The district has already identified $472,192 in estimated savings for the remainder of the current school year through measures such as a hiring freeze, reduced professional development costs, and adjustments in operational expenditures.
Over the past two years, forty positions at Princeton City Schools have been eliminated. Most of these positions were as staff retired or left positions, and the open vacancies were filled or absorbed by staff already working for the district in other roles. This was done intentionally, knowing that ESSER funding was being phased out in 2024. Five staff members from PCSD were let go before the start of the 2024-25 school year, specifically because they had been hired with ESSER funding, which was no longer available.
To save costs and make the most of available resources, Princeton has adopted strategies like sharing teachers or other staff between buildings. This approach ensures that students across multiple locations can access specialized services, even if resources are limited.
For instance, when a staff position becomes vacant, administrators may choose to have an existing teacher split their time between two schools. This allows both schools to maintain access to the program while balancing teacher-to-student ratios and optimizing staffing levels. Although families may sometimes express concerns about needing a dedicated staff member in their school, this strategy has been used effectively in the past to meet student needs while managing budgets efficiently.
The Princeton Board of Education approved the budget reduction plans on Monday, December 9, 2024. The first list (Exhibit A-Current Reductions) includes areas of reduction for the current school year, effective in January 2025. The second (Exhibit A-Additional Reductions) list shows potential cuts that may be made before the start of the 2025-26 school year. The third list includes additional reductions for the 2026-27 school year, if no funding changes are made, including failure of any levy placed on the ballot in 2025.
The upcoming changes in January 2025 include a hiring freeze for the second semester and a reduction of professional development learning opportunities for educators and staff. Princeton has had a robust professional development day called Viking University, which will be canceled. Staff will still report to their current work site that day and attend training provided by the internal staff only. Other professional development and workshops will be only approved if they are mandatory for health, safety, or legal purposes to stay in compliance with the Ohio Department of Education and Workforce (ODEW) or grant funding.
The most impactful for parents and students is the reduction of Secondary Activity buses that are used for extracurricular activities on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Students at Princeton Community Middle School and Princeton High School have relied on First Student Transportation if they stay after school for extra help, take assessments, or participate in clubs, sports, and other extracurricular activities. The programs will continue to be offered in January through May; however, the buses that provide transportation home from these activities will not be provided. This will be a $50,000 savings for the remainder of the year and a $100,000 savings in subsequent years. At this time, all other scheduled bus routes will be in operation.
Along with buses, field trips paid for out of the General Operating Fund that have not already been approved will be eliminated. Field trips that have 100% grant coverage, including all fees and transportation costs covered, can be submitted to the administration for consideration of approval.
During the summer, from June 23 to July 25, all District buildings will be closed Fridays through Sundays. Employees will work 10-hour days Monday through Thursday. The cost savings for reducing the summer operating hours of the buildings will be approximately $30,000.
With the closing of buildings over weekends during the summer and delaying projects such as paving, roofing, and HVAC maintenance, the Operations Department will reduce its budget by $200,000.
After polling parents about communication needs and the mailings of progress reports and report cards, 70% of our survey respondents in English indicated they prefer to get these reports electronically. About 85% of our non-English speaking families prefer to get the reports electronically since they can be easily translated online. Eliminating this mailing will save the district around $7,000. Offering student handbooks online rather than printed, bound copies will save $20,000.
The district will work to reduce the need for substitute teachers and paraprofessionals. Substitute teachers must cover a specific staff member. Building, Long Term, and Daily substitutes to cover the absence of a teacher will continue to be approved. The district will not employ substitutes for short-term special projects, testing, teacher collaboration, IEP meetings, or non-instructional duties. This ensures that substitute resources are prioritized for maintaining classroom continuity and instructional support. Depending on the assignment, Substitutes are paid $100 or $150 per day. Across the eleven buildings, cutting extra substitutes that are contracted from Hamilton County Educational Service Center will save approximately $10,000.
In addition to the $472,192 in estimated savings for the remainder of the current year, an additional $5,299,378 may be reduced prior to the start of the 2025/26 school year. The list of possible expense reductions for 2025-2026 that are on the table will depend on balancing class sizes, reducing the Administrative/Non-Bargaining staff positions and pay increases (Step Freeze), and reducing building and department budgets by 10% or more of non-fixed costs. The Building and Operations Department will reduce its budget by $1,260,000.
Reducing teaching and paraprofessional positions and staff supplemental contacts will depend on how many current employees retire or leave the district to take positions elsewhere. The district will work to reorganize staffing to accommodate classroom needs and consolidate positions where possible. Reduction in force may be considered.
The Princeton Board of Education has not voted on the next step to return to the ballot for a levy, but it will likely be on the agenda in January to make a resolution.
If a levy is not passed in 2025, funding for the district will be out of compliance and require significant changes (Exhibit B). This could include closing school buildings in the 2026-27 school year. There have been no decisions on which buildings, and the board understands that communities value having neighborhood schools.
Princeton has plans for public engagement and feedback to hear community concerns. Listening Sessions will be held at each school building and public locations in the community. These meetings will not have formal presentations, and no more than two Board members may attend each meeting. This is an opportunity for the public to share concerns about our school district’s financial stability.
Resolution for Budget Reduction Plan Submission
Princeton City School District – Exhibits A & B: Budget Reductions
Princeton City School District continues its dedication to fiscal responsibility while ensuring our students' best possible educational environment. In response to ongoing financial constraints, the district has prepared a detailed cost reduction plan that addresses the remainder of the 2024/25 school year and projections for the 2025/26 and 2026/27 school years.
Board of Education Approval for a Resolution made on Monday, December 9, 2024.
The budget reduction plan requires the approval of the Princeton Board of Education to implement the outlined measures. These reductions are necessary to align expenditures with projected revenues while minimizing adverse impacts on our students and programs.
Budget Reductions Overview
Exhibit A – Current Reductions for the 2024/25 School Year
The district has already identified $472,192 in estimated savings for the remainder of the current school year through measures such as a hiring freeze, reduced professional development costs, and adjustments in operational expenditures. An additional $5,299,378 may be reduced prior to the start of the 2025/26 school year.
Exhibit A & B - Budget Reductions
Cumulative Impact of Proposed Measures
The proposed reductions would result in significant fiscal stabilization while allowing the district to adapt to changing financial realities.
Next Steps
The resolution of the Princeton Board of Education includes:
Descriptions of each reduction and their anticipated financial impacts.
An analysis of the educational and operational implications for staff and students.
Plans for public engagement and communication to address community concerns.
Listening Sessions will be held at each Princeton school building and community location—all will be open to the public. The Administration will give no formal presentation, and no more than two Board of Education members may attend these events. This is an opportunity for the public to share concerns about our school district's financial stability.
Commitment to Transparency and Community Collaboration
We understand that these decisions will raise questions and concerns among our stakeholders. Princeton City School District is committed to maintaining open communication, providing updates, and working with families, staff, and community members to navigate this process together.
Your support is vital as we take these proactive steps to secure the future of Princeton City School District.
Listening Dates Coming Soon
Voters Reject Princeton Levy
The Princeton City School District faces $10.6 million in cuts and reductions after voters rejected a 5.00-mill operating levy on November 5 that would have provided additional funding to Princeton City Schools for operating expenses.
“Cuts hurt our schools, our students, and our community. The failure of this levy has jeopardized the fiscal stability of our schools and places our district at a financial cliff with millions in reductions that will now have to be made,” said Jon Simons, president of the Princeton Board of Education. “The passage of this levy would have provided important funding to the day-to-day work of our teachers and schools. This levy was vital to Princeton City Schools; it would have protected the investment we have all made in our children, schools, and community.”
Princeton’s last operating levy was passed in 2019 with the expectation to return to the ballot for a levy in 2022. The timeframe has been stretched to last two years longer than expected due to cost savings from ESSER funding.
“We kept our commitment to stretch the last levy for as long as possible while remaining fiscally responsible,” said G. Elgin Card, superintendent. “It is very unfortunate that this levy did not pass, as it will be a great challenge to reconcile the critical day-to-day needs we face in our schools without compromising the high-quality educational experience that our children deserve.”
According to Board of Election results, Tuesday’s vote broke down as follows:
Hamilton County: 51.2% Against, 48.8% For
Butler County: 56.60% Against, 43.40% For
Warren County: 56.76% Against, 43.24% For
“Regardless of this outcome, I would like to extend my deepest gratitude to the volunteers who dedicated countless hours to ensuring that our community was informed about the facts facing our schools,” continued Card. “While disappointed with the result, we are incredibly appreciative of their efforts, and we will seek to better understand why we were not successful.”
Card said that the district’s needs do not go away with failure, and the board will soon begin to review and prepare to make necessary cuts and reductions. “I want to assure our families that we will continue to make every decision with the best interest of our students in mind. We simply cannot have what we cannot afford. Cuts and reductions will have a significant impact on the academic programming of our school district.”
Sunday, October 13, 2024
6 PM - 7 PM
St. Monica’s Center
10022 Chester Road
(Park on Douglas Street)
Lincoln Heights
Tuesday, October 15, 2024
6-7 PM
Sharonville Recreation Center
10990 Thornview Drive
Sharonville
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
6-7 PM
Harry Whiting Brown Community Center
205 East Sharon Road
Glendale
Tuesday, October 22, 2024
6-7 PM
Evendale Cultural Arts Center
10500 Reading Road
Evendale
Wednesday, October 23, 2024
6-7 PM
Woodlawn Recreation Center
10050 Woodlawn Blvd.
Woodlawn
Tuesday, October 29, 2024
6-7 PM
Springdale Parks & Recreation Center
11999 Lawnview Avenue
Springdale
Voter Registration Deadline was October 7, 2024
Early Voting in Person starts October 8th and includes the last two Saturdays, and the last two Sundays before Election Day
Absentee/Vote by Mail started October 8, 2024
Election Day is November 5, 2024; Polls open at 6:30 AM until 7:30 PM
PRINCETON TAX LEVY INFORMATION
TAXING DISTRICT: Princeton City School District
ELECTION DATE: November 5, 2024
LEVY TYPE: Additional
LEVY PURPOSE: Current Expense
TERM OF LEVY: Continuing
PROPOSED MILLAGE: 5.00
ESTIMATED ANNUAL REVENUE: $10,641,000
ESTIMATED ANNUAL COST TO HOMEOWNER with $100,000 MARKET VALUE* : $175
CURRENT ANNUAL COST TO HOMEOWNER with $100,000 MARKET VALUE*: $0
*Estimated cost based on a $100,000 (market value) residential property not receiving the non-business, owner occupancy, and sales tax credits on the qualifying levy.
How Much Is It Really?
The mill levy is the "tax rate" that is applied to the assessed value of a property. One mill is one dollar per $1,000 dollars of assessed value. To help all voters understand what the levy will cost property owners, this chart gives you a clear explanation.
The current levy proposal is a 5.0 mill levy based on the assessed value of property is 35% of its current county appraised value. In order to find the levy cost, plug your home’s value into this formula:
Seven southwest Ohio school districts ask taxpayers for more money to offset inflation, construct new buildings and dig out of dire financial holes.