NEWTON FALLS — Newton Falls schools officials are watching student enrollment numbers in the district which, in recent years, have decreased and affected district finances.

Treasurer Ben Marko discussed finances with the board of education at the recent October meeting and said the district currently has $3.5 million in the general fund. By the end of the year, it will be at $4.2 million, which will be a $713,000 cash increase in the general fund.

Marko said the district receives 63% of its funding from the state, 32% from local taxes and 5% from other revenue. He said 90% of the funds are used to pay employees.

The district has a 3.3-mill emergency renewal levy on the Nov. 4 general election ballot which generates $585,000 per year.

The owner of a $100,000 home pays $116 per year.

The district provides free breakfast and lunch for students and transports students to and from school.

The district finances receive $93 per day for each student for 174 days of school per year.

Marko said if the levy passes the district will have financial stability by June 2029. He said if it does not pass the fiscal distress will begin in the fiscal 2029 school year going from $3.5 million to $2 million a year.

He said if all the district’s revenue streams are cut off the district only will be stable for 90 days.

Marko said one area of concern is student enrollment.

He said in 2021 the district had 916 students, and for 2025, 809 students, noting many families move in and out of the district.

Current projections show 791 students in the district next year, which will be 18 less than this year, Marko said.

He said the district loses on average 15 students per school year.

“This steady decline affects our revenue stream per student. The state revenue for schools will decrease due to the loss of students,” Marko said.

PRESENTATION

In other business, Brian Bugos, a 20-year high school social studies / government teacher, recently participated in the “Classrooms Without Borders Poland Personality Seminar” which was an immersive professional development experience visiting key sites tied to Jewish life in Eastern Europe and the Holocaust.

The experience for educators was sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Youngstown. He said the group saw six extermination death camps.

Bugos said the event gave him new perspectives on teaching history, reenergized his commitment to helping students think critically about the past and strengthened his ability to guide them toward empathy and global citizenship.

Bugos highlighted his experience, explaining how the lessons are shaping his instruction in the classroom, and explained how he engages students in complex historical topics.

He also made the connection to the local history of Newton Falls students learn about.

“History is important to me. History is what Newton Falls is all about” he said, noting Newton Falls schools letterhead has “Proud of our past. Prepared for our future.”

He said Newton Falls has its own unique history with the mills, the covered bridge and the falls.

“All of these are part of our history and have an effect on how we react to history,” Bugos said.

He said students in the district have scored well in state test scores in social studies and history.