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More than 300 seek answers to Monroe’s financial woes

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By Steven Matthews, Staff Writer 10:19 PM Tuesday, February 7, 2012

MONROE — While fiscal emergency appears imminent for Monroe Local Schools, more than 300 residents showed up at the community meeting Tuesday night looking for answers as to why the district is in a financial hole.

District officials presented a plan moving forward — including what the $2.2 million in cuts are and the restructuring of its buildings — as they look to dig out of a $4.5 million projected deficit at the end of this fiscal year.

That $4.5 million figure is a combination of $3.1 million misspent from the Bond Retirement Fund and $1.4 million in operating expenses. Monroe’s financial problems trace back to 2005 spanning two treasurers. It has an annual budget of about $18 million.

The district was placed in fiscal watch last week by the state auditor’s office, and may request to be placed in fiscal emergency without submitting another recovery plan, which would then allow the state to appoint an oversight commission.

Treasurer Holly Cahall said the district will likely have to take out a $600,000 loan this spring, in addition to the $1.4 million loan from Fifth Third Bank that was issued last year to pay off accumulated debt.

“This stinks. Everything about this stinks,” school board President Brett Guido said. “I’m sorry for my part in this. I’m sorry you have to go through this. But sorry isn’t going to make this $4.5 million deficit go away. We’ll get through this meeting, we’ll get through other meetings like this, and we’ll come together to find a solution. That’s the only answer in this.”

In addition to the 19 positions being eliminated, Superintendent Elizabeth Lolli said busing routes will be reduced from 23 to 15, which will save the district more than $400,000. The reduction in force combined with the changes in busing equal the $2.2 million in cuts the board approved in late November. About $635,000 in cuts were made prior to this school year.

“It was very difficult for us to learn that jobs are being eliminated,” said Mike Stanger, president of the Monroe Education Association. “ ... Our district and programs will look completely different next year. It’s so very sad when we were on the cusp of something so great in Monroe.”

Among the cuts will be three elementary music teachers and two elementary/junior high art teachers. General music classes in grades K-6 will be eliminated along with art classes in grades K-8. Those subjects will be taught by regular classroom teachers.

“My (third-grade) son is more musically-inclined, and I don’t appreciate that music and art are being cut, and the teachers,” said Barbara Bradley. “Hopefully they’ll be reinstated soon.”

With reduction in staff, changes to the buildings for next year are: primary (PK-1, close down the modular units); elementary (grades 2-4); middle school (grades 5-8); and high school (grades 9-12). Start and end times for each building will change as well.

Other changes include: administrators will be tasked with additional responsibilities; pay-to-participate fees will increase for athletics, marching band and after school clubs; and one assistant coaching position from each sport will be eliminated, a savings of a little under $1 million.

“We need to work together as a committed group of people to focus on the children of this school district,” Lolli said. “While we (district officials) in this room will provide leadership, we cannot do this without community support. We will pull out of this.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 755-5113 or steven.matthews@coxinc.com.

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