The Adams County/Ohio Valley School District is facing a possible financial crisis, with a board member recently disclosing a $4 million deficit.
Board members have taken to social media to address the community directly, confirming rumors that have been circulating for months. On June 17th, the district announced a special board meeting to take place on June 27th. The meeting will include discussions with the State of Ohio Department of Education and Workforce regarding fiscal projections, fiscal management strategies to prevent further financial distress, and the fiscal oversight process.
The public is encouraged to attend the meeting, which will be held at 2 p.m. at the District Bus Garage, located at 4595 Tri-County Road, Winchester.
In response to a constituent’s comments on Facebook, Board Member Sally McDaniel clarified the district’s position, stating, “Right now, we are in a $4 million deficit, which means we really have to watch our spending.” “We hired what sports was going on now and pulled the others off the agenda till a later date.”
Robin Lucas, a board member since 2022, attributed the financial woes to the previous administration. “Our goal is to cut out spending that is not 100% necessary in order to get the budget balanced without going into a RIF (Reduction in Force) situation within the next year or two. We are cleaning up issues with spending the public’s tax dollars, yours and mine included, that should not have been so loosely spent the past several years by the previous administration.”
The gravity of the situation was underscored by a recent audit released by Ohio Auditor Keith Faber. The audit highlighted potential future financial peril for the district. The district acknowledged that a potential recession and changes to the State’s Foundations Funding Formula for Public Education could further jeopardize financial stability. “Since we are funded approximately 90% General Fund operations by the State, this could have a detrimental effect on our operational capabilities,” the district stated in the audit.
Further updates will be provided as the situation evolves.
