By Brett Griffith,
At the September 18 Board of Education Business Meeting, it was time to once again revisit our five-year financial forecast – a tool we use twice each year (fall and spring) to anticipate both the financial stability and future needs for the district. You have heard me say this before, and I will say it again now – as the chief financial officer of the Loveland City School District, I want you – our investor – to know that it is of the utmost importance to both our Board of Education and my team to operate in a fiscally conservative manner while maintaining excellence for the students we serve. I am pleased to report to you that the district has maintained financial stability – as promised during the last levy campaign.
I am pleased to report to you that the district has maintained financial stability – as promised during the last levy campaign.
To provide you with relevant history, the Loveland City School District passed a 5.6 mill operating levy in May of 2014; passage of the levy provided our team an opportunity to invest in and enrich the excellent education we provide by enhancing the classroom experience for the 4,700 students we serve. Those investments included one-to-one technology for students in grades five through 12, the addition of a tuition-based all-day kindergarten option, a five-year commitment to investigating and purchasing the best instructional materials by subject annually – district-wide, development of more robust offerings at our high school, and strategic investment in classroom instruction district-wide through Innovative Instructional Grants. None of these investments could have happened without your support, and – as always – we offer a sincere thank you to those who believed in our mission and continue to support our district. Our expectation is that the money from that levy will continue to fund the district – as promised – until 2018.
Our expectation is that the money from that levy will continue to fund the district – as promised – until 2018.
At this time, our five-year forecast projections show a need to be back on the ballot in the future for an operating levy; this information was shared with our Board of Education to consider during the Business Meeting. At this time there has been no discussion regarding any specifics, but as those discussions progress, the district will provide timely updates to you. Additionally, the Board is considering future needs regarding our facilities which were brought to our attention by community members who spent a good portion of the 2016-17 school year working with district staff to identify these needs for our district and research current best practices at surrounding districts. While any upgrades to facilities would be separate from an operating levy, it is important for you to understand that the Board is considering how to address both issues. Again, as those discussions advance the district will keep you informed on the latest.
As I have expressed to you before, I feel it is my privilege to serve our Tiger Family by ensuring our team prepares students for tomorrow, today while maintaining the fiscal health of our operations. I invite you to contact me directly should you have any specific questions about our district finances. My door is always open.
Brett Griffith is & CFO of the
Loveland City School District
