District has looming deficit

TIFFIN – Tiffin City School district has started cutbacks in the district. "The board and I have continued to look at the five-year forecast which is not positive in our district," district Superintendent Ben Richards told the A-T. "We continue to look at areas where we can cut spending prior to going to our voters for additional funds." One area identified by the superintendent and the Board of Education is the assistant superintendent position, currently held by Robert Boes. "There are not a lot of districts of comparable size that have an assistant superintendent," Richards said. "So, we (Richards and the Board of Education) have been working with Mr. Boes for a few weeks now to look for other options for him that take into account his years of service and dedication to our schools while also maintaining that he can be employed in the district at his current salary and benefits level." Richards and the Board of Education are continuing to negotiate with Boes on possible options. "The board has worked together with the superintendent to look at the administrative structure of the district, including the position of assistant superintendent, going into the next school year," board President Dustin Williams said. "Out of respect for Mr. Boes, while he considers this decision, I'll not comment at this time on the options he's been presented." Richards said he and the board will be continuing to look at other positions. Boes did not provide any comments. "Our goal is to have positions that will be eliminated by attrition, meaning people leave those positions and those positions wouldn't be replaced," he said. Some people may end up having a different job moving forward than they had previously. Richards said it is imperative that the conversations of cutbacks move forward with leadership first. There have been no cutbacks when it comes to pay and the district is not looking at any options that involve cutting back on pay. In October 2023, District Treasurer Ryan Cook presented an updated forecast to the board. The revenue growth for the district over the next five years is estimated to be a little less than 1% and expenditure growth is nearly 4%. The district is projected to go into a cash deficit by fiscal year 2028. Cook said the district is going to need to look at budget cuts, new revenue or a combination of both in the long run. He stated that the district has already begun to look at its options during work sessions. Plans for new revenue or a reduction should begin in this year, he said, to help avoid upcoming deficits.