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Newton Falls looks at closing grade school

Officials cite declining enrollment

Tribune Chronicle / Bob Coupland Newton Falls Superintendent Paul Woodard, standing, answers questions of parents and residents Thursday at an informational meeting at the high school on plans to close the elementary school because of declining enrollment and the need to save the district money.

NEWTON FALLS — With the Newton Falls Exempted Village School District seeing a loss of 610 students between 1990 and 2017, school officials are looking at ways to save money, including possibly closing the elementary school at the end of the school year.

About 150 people attended an informational meeting Thursday at the high school where Superintendent Paul Woodard, Treasurer Jonathan Pusateri and the Board of Education explained what needs to be done to save money. Closing the school would save $53,799 in utility costs annually, Pusateri said.

“This district has been experiencing a steady decline in enrollment. We had 1,711 students in the district in 1990 and in 2017, we have 1,101. We have to be fiscally responsible, and with the current enrollment, we have a strain on the amount of money in the general fund. We must look at ways to increase the depleted funds of the district,” Woodard said.

He said with the decrease in the number of students, the district has lost $3.66 million in state funding because funds follow a student when he or she goes to another district or charter school. From May 2017 to the present, the district has lost 77 students with a loss of $462,770 in state money. Each student brings approximately $6,000 to their home district.

Woodard said if enrollment continues to decline at the current rate, the district will have fewer than 925 students by 2022.

He said the declining enrollment is the result of families leaving the area to find jobs, home schooling, charter and private schools, young people moving away or having fewer children, and open enrollment at other districts.

He said many districts, such as Maplewood, have had to close school buildings because of declining enrollment.

“Everyone locally is experiencing decreasing enrollment,” Woodard said.

Officials said with closing of the elementary school, grades kindergarten to third would be moved to the middle school with fourth and fifth grades, and sixth grade would be moved from the middle school to the junior high with grades seven and eight.

Pusateri said with the enrollment decline, the district will be in deficit spending by fiscal year 2018 with an ending fund balance of negative $1.9 million by 2021.

Officials said they also would have to look at cuts from both unions of between $350,000 and $450,000.

Voters approved a 4-mill five-year renewal levy in 2011 generating $592,720 and a new five-year levy in 2015 generating $765,597.

Woodard said the district went 24 years without asking residents for additional money.

“I have been down to Columbus several times and told how we have gone 24 years without any new money. People at the state are amazed we are still open,” Woodard said.

When asked by residents to cut sports and busing, Woodard said cutting busing will mean less money to the district and cutting sports will mean students leave for other districts, taking away more money.

The district has done shared services with Lordstown to save money and has cut positions.

Parent Julie Lennon said she was concerned about 11-year-olds being with high school students, but officials said efforts will be made to keep different age groups in different parts of the buildings.

Parent Ray Smith suggested ways to make the district “more appetizing” to get students enrolled here. Some parents also asked about offering preschool.

Woodard said the district can’t offer preschool because it doesn’t have the money to fund it.

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