MONROE — Monroe stakeholders have taken the right approach to reach financial solvency for the school district, a state education official said.

Roger Hardin of the Ohio Department of Education, said he’s seen a series of trends when it comes to dealing with fiscal emergencies in school districts.

He said districts often start with denial that a problem has occurred, then they shift to the blame game where they’re looking for a culprit.

“The best-case scenario is where the district takes ownership of the problem. I believe, from my conversations with the district individuals, that they are doing that now. If they take ownership of the problem and take steps to make any kind of corrective actions that they need to do, then the commission can sit here as more of an advisory board,” Hardin said. “But the commission itself does have the authority to direct the school board on certain items.”

The district, which was placed under fiscal emergency by the state earlier this month, is faced with a $2.2 million general fund deficit and a $3.1 million retirement additional debt, which is owed from the general fund to the bond fund. 

The state-appointed Financial Planning and Supervision Commission, which will now oversee the district, met Wednesday for the first time.

The group was so new that some of the commission members were seen introducing themselves to each other after the meeting, which was held in the Monroe Elementary School cafeteria.

By Ohio law, the group now has 120 days (Sept, 27) to create a financial recovery plan. State Auditor Dave Yost has allowed the district to pay the $3.1 million back to the bond fund in quarterly payments over the next five years.

The group will be chaired by Michael Watson, the appointee of the state superintendent, who has been busy in recent months chairing the Little Miami School District fiscal emergency team.

Sharon Hanrahan is the Office of Business and Management’s representative. She currently works with more than a dozen municipal fiscal emergency cases for the Office of Business and Management.

“It’s early, but I get the sense, just from walking in the building that people are committed. They actually feel embarrassed about this. They want to get out of the hole, and we’ll see,” Hanrahan said. “I think they’ve got a good capability. I also read that they’ve also done the work to go to the ballot in August, which is very proactive. It’s very quick. A lot of times, that doesn’t happen until the commission has been meeting for a while, so that shows that they’re ‘on it.’

“I don’t expect them to be in (fiscal emergency) for very long.”

Monroe resident James Barnes, a financial officer for New York Life, was appointed to the commission as Gov. John Kasich’s representative on Tuesday.

The final two commission members — Monroe residents Don Pelfrey and Kelly Myers — were named to the commission during Wednesday’s meeting. All five were officially sworn in by state Board of Education representative Jeffrey Mims, Jr.

“We’ve got a job to do and I’m confident that it’s going to be done,” said Barnes. “I know the administration is willing, and we’re willing. I think we’ve got a good group of people here, and I think in due time we’re going to be back in business here.”

The next meeting of the planning and supervising commission is scheduled for 2 p.m. June 13 in the Monroe Elementary School cafeteria.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2851 or jbombatch@coxohio.com.