Tag: Grail

Loveland School District votes to purchase 16 acres from Cardinal Land Conservancy
Loveland, Ohio – After several unanimous votes, the Loveland City School District Board of Education made decisions to acquire 15.76 acres of land on US-48 near Founders Drive from the Cardinal Land Conservancy. The purchase price is approximately $1.5 million. This is land the Conservancy recently purchased from the Grail. ([EXCLUSIVE FIRST RELEASE] Grailville land acquisition grant awarded to Cardinal Land Conservancy)

In a news release issued by the District, Board President Jonathan Eilert said, “This property is a strategic investment in the future of the Loveland City School District. We feel the property will continue to grow in value, support the development of the Conservancy for the entire Loveland community, and provide unique opportunities for outdoor education for our students.”

In the same release, Andy Dickerson, Executive Director of Cardinal Land Conservancy is quoted as saying, “The sale of this property will provide the revenue needed for the Cardinal Land Conservancy to restore several buildings on the site for public and private use and open the property as a public nature preserve. We envision walking paths, learning gardens, and future partnerships with mental health service providers that will be great resources for local families and nature lovers. We have a proven track record of partnering with school districts on environmental education programs, and we believe this sale will be a win-win for the Conservancy, the school district, and the community.”

According to the District, “The property purchase will not impact the district’s operating budget and will not impact the property tax bills of Loveland City School District residents. The property will be purchased using financing that is supported by the district’s Permanent Improvement fund, which is earmarked specifically for ongoing improvement projects. Operating funds will not be used for the purchase. There will be no impact on funding for student-focused needs like staffing or classroom programming. The district will not be asking for any additional taxpayer funds for this purchase.”

The property will be purchased using “financing” and one vote that the Board made was to seek proposals for the lowest interest rate possible.

The District also said, “This property helps secure the future of Loveland City Schools. Purchasing it will allow us to begin a long, thoughtful conversation with our community about district facilities. Any building project would require public support through a ballot initiative.”

The Permanent Improvement tax is a continuing levy and has no expiration date.

View the Board meetings where the decisions were made.

March 5 Work Session

Discussion starts. (4:40 minute mark)

March 19 Business Meeting

Two residents speak to support the purchase (2:11 minute mark)

Superintendent speaks about and endorses the property purchase. (27:30 minute mark)

Treasure discusses the Permanent Improvement Fund and debt service of the land acquisition. (1:07:42)

Board goes into Executive Session with Andy Dickerson, Executive Director of Cardinal Land Conservancy to consider the purchase of the property (1:13:40)

Board comes out of Executive Session and votes on the purchase of the Conservancy land and financing the purchase. (2:13:10)

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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CONDITIONAL ACQUISITION AND PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE PURSUANT TO A PURCHASE AGREEMENT AND AUTHORIZING OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.

WHEREAS, this Board of Education (the “Board of Education”) of the Loveland City School District (the “District”) has identified an opportunity to purchase approximately 16-acres of real estate located on O’Bannonville Road currently owned by Cardinal Land Conservancy Inc. (the “Property”), which real estate, upon acquisition, is intended to be used for public educational purposes;

WHEREAS, this Board of Education is hereby authorized to negotiate and to execute an agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with the seller of the Property, which agreement shall set forth the terms and conditions of the purchase and sale of the Property subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, including, without limitation, due diligence matters and the satisfaction of certain conditions precedent within the Purchase Agreement such as inspections, title matters, a satisfactory survey and appraisal, and obtaining financing enabling the District to purchase the Property (collectively, the “Conditions”);

WHEREAS, this Board of Education desires to proceed with the negotiation, and/or execution of the Purchase Agreement, and to undertake actions necessary to do so;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of the Loveland City School District, Counties of Hamilton, Clermont and Warren, Ohio, that:
1. 1. This Board of Education hereby authorizes the Superintendent, the Treasurer, and the Supervisor of Buildings and Grounds, or their authorized designees (collectively, the “Authorized Representatives”), individually, or in any combination, to conduct reasonable due diligence with respect to the Property, to take reasonable actions in satisfaction of the Conditions and to negotiate the terms of a Purchase Agreement for the acquisition of the Property. In addition, the President of this Board of Education and/or any of the Authorized Representatives, individually or in any combination, are hereby authorized to execute the Purchase Agreement, either (a) upon satisfaction of the Conditions in anticipation of the execution of the Purchase Agreement or (b) as a prerequisite to conducting due diligence on the Property, providing the District with the ability to satisfy the Conditions in conjunction with the sale of the Property.
2. 2. In conjunction with the execution of the Purchase Agreement, this Board of Education hereby approves the appropriation of the necessary funds in order to undertake commercially reasonable due diligence efforts to purchase the Property and related efforts in satisfaction of the Conditions. Upon execution of the Purchase Agreement and securing the acceptable financing for the acquisition of the Property, this Board of Education hereby authorizes the appropriation of the necessary funds for the purchase of the Property as provided for in the Purchase Agreement.
3. 3. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Board of Education concerning and relating to the adoption of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Board of Education, and that all deliberations of this Board of Education and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action, were in meetings open to the public, in compliance with all legal requirements including Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
4. 4. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and immediately upon its adoption.
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RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO OBTAIN FINANCING FOR THE ACQUISITION AND PURCHASE OF REAL ESTATE AND AUTHORIZING OTHER MATTERS IN CONNECTION THEREWITH.

WHEREAS, this Board of Education (the “Board of Education”) of the Loveland City School District (the “District”) has identified an opportunity to purchase approximately 16-acres of real estate located on O’Bannonville Road currently owned by Cardinal Land Conservancy Inc. (the “Property”), which real estate, upon acquisition, is intended to be used for public educational purposes;

WHEREAS, this Board of Education has entered into an agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”) with the seller of the Property, which agreement sets forth the terms and conditions of the purchase and sale of the Property subject to the fulfillment of certain conditions, including, without limitation, obtaining financing that is satisfactory to the District (the “Financing Condition”);

WHEREAS, this Board of Education desires to proceed with satisfying the Financing Condition set forth in the Purchase Agreement, and to undertake actions necessary to do so;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Education of the Loveland City School District, Counties of Hamilton, Clermont and Warren, Ohio, that:
1. 1. This Board of Education hereby authorizes the Treasurer to take reasonable actions necessary to satisfy the Financing Condition and to secure financing for the payment of the acquisition of the Property, including, without limitation, the preparation and effectuation of requests for financing proposals, the negotiation of financing terms with an underwriter or solicitation agent, and to undertake other reasonable actions in connection with privately placed or publically offered bonds, notes, lease-purchase obligations, certificates of participation and/or other securities or obligations deemed most efficient and beneficial to the District. The Treasurer is further authorized to consult with the District’s municipal advisor and bond counsel in reviewing, analyzing and/or making determinations with respect to the structure, timing and terms of a proposed financing for the acquisition of the Property.
2. 2. It is found and determined that all formal actions of this Board of Education concerning and relating to the adoption of this resolution were adopted in an open meeting of this Board of Education, and that all deliberations of this Board of Education and of any of its committees that resulted in such formal action, were in meetings open to the public, in compliance with all legal requirements including Section 121.22 of the Ohio Revised Code.
3. 3. This resolution shall be in full force and effect from and immediately upon its adoption.
Apr 2, 2024
Grailville supporters speak at Clermont Commission meeting

Batavia, Ohio – This LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video is from Wednesday, August 17 when local residents made the trek to the Clermont County Commission meeting to urge support for a grant application to secure funding to preserve Grailvile acreage as permanent green space.

Both the City of Loveland and Miami Township governing bodies have previously voted their unanimous support for the Cardinal Land Conservancy seeking a grant from the State of Ohio’s Clean Ohio Conservation Fund to purchase the remaining 89 acres of Grailville land. A successful application also requires a resolution of support from the Clermont County Commission, (Second step in securing grant money to preserve Grailville a success)

Members of the Grail and the Grail Land Preservation Group spoke passionately urging the Commission to support the grant application. You will hear their unique perspectives on why the Grailville land is so important as greenspace, and a tourism attraction for Loveland, Miami Township, and Clermont County. There were discussions of the positive financial impact on the area, and Grailville’s important cultural past that can be preserved and continue for decades to come.

If the Clean Ohio Conservation Funds are secured there will be no direct cost to local governments.

This video is via the YouTube Channel of Clermont County.

This LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video below is Dickerson talking to supporters after the presentation was concluded. Dickerson expects a resolution will be voted on next week when Commisioner Painter can attend.

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Read the History of Grailville

Aug 18, 2023
A Grailville up-date: Commission didn’t vote but plenty of optimism

Batavia, Ohio – About 20 local residents, members of both the Grail and the Grail Land Preservation Group made the trek to Batavia and the Clermont County Commissioners meeting Wednesday morning to show support for a grant application that needs the support of the Commission. There was no vote because the resolution was not finalized, however, both President Bonnie Batchler and member Claire Corcoran listened attentively as Andy Dickerson from the Cardinal Land Conservancy made a presentation followed by several residents from Loveland and Greater Cincinnati espousing the benefits they see if the remaining Grail land is preserved as greenspace in perpetuity.

The hold up on having a resolution in front of the Commissioners was because Commissioner David Painter could not attend and it was expressed that there were one or two remaining questions before a vote was taken.

This LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video is Dickerson talking to supporters after the presentation was concluded. Dickerson expects a resolution will be voted on next week when Painter can attend.

Both the City of Loveland and Miami Township governing bodies have previously voted their unanimous support for the Cardinal Land Conservancy seeking a grant from the State of Ohio’s Clean Ohio Conservation Fund to purchase the remaining 89 acres of Grailville land. (Second step in securing grant money to preserve Grailville a success)

More at 11 as they say

Loveland Magazine will be publishing speeches from citizens as they passionately urged the Commission to support the grant application. You will hear their unique perspectives on why the Grailville land is so important as greenspace, and a tourism attraction for Loveland, Miami Township, and Clermont County. There were discussions of the positive financial impact on the area, and Grailville’s important cultural past that can be preserved and continue into the decades to come.

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For background: History of Grailville – The Grailville Archive

Aug 17, 2023
[VIDEO INTERVIEW] Clermont Parks Director talks about their Grailville nature preserve

David Miller is the Publisher and Editor of Loveland Magazine

by David Miller

Loveland, Ohio – Josh Torbeck, the Director of the Clermont Park District met with me mid-morning Wednesday at the site of their newest park. Torbeck said the park on former Grailville land doesn’t have a formal name yet but was pretty confident “Grail” or “Grailville” would be in the official name once a decision is made. Currently, it is listed as “Grailville Nature Preserve” on the District’s website. The address is 1014 O’Bannonville Road, and Loveland City Council recently took steps toward annexing the 100 acres into the City. The land reaches all the way to Route 48 (Oakland Road) and that will most likely be where most visitors will go to enjoy it.

I asked him to tell you a little about his background and previous experience which he was modest about – but his resume is certainly not modest!

To find out what was most on the minds of Loveland residents I asked a few residents what questions they would like me to ask Torbeck. One was to ask about what deed restrictions are on the land. Torbeck explained the restrictions as well as the amenities they are allowed to put on 10 acres at the Oakland Road entrance.

The most pressing issue and question however was whether the District is pursuing, or is there a potential that the adjacent 109 acres, those where the Drees company intended to build 209 homes, would eventually become an addition to the nature preserve. Torbeck gave a candid answer.

The District also recently received a $260K capital improvement grant from Ohio to be used on the nature preserve and Torbeck talked about the intended uses of those funds.

The Grailville Archive

Because posterity may wish to know.

Aug 26, 2022
Grailville Land Preservation Group asks you to imagine the hopefull future

by Tom Scovanner – On behalf of the Grailville Land Preservation Group

Imagine a place just outside of Loveland Ohio that serves as a foundation for an economy powered by outdoor recreation. Loveland has an opportunity to create a place that will be a beacon of hope and peace, a place where everyone in the community feels welcome and connected, coupled with the opportunity to experience the mental and physical health benefits of being in nature and the sacredness of the land. According to the Trust for Public Land, ‘Quality parks and green space are a fundamental requirement for sustaining healthy, equitable, resilient communities.’

Drees Homes had hoped to develop 111 acres owned by The Grail since the early 1940’s into a 209-unit housing development. This rural oasis just outside of Loveland has been a ‘sacred space for women who value peace and care of the earth’ according to The Grail’s website.

When members of the community learned of the Drees proposal, an organic, grassroots organization of smart, engaged, well informed and dedicated people went to work to protect the land. We, the Grailville Land Preservation Group are environmentalists, naturalists, neighbors, lawyers, mothers, fathers and children, Grail members, community leaders and organizers, farmers, business owners, people of faith, historians, and past Grail participants. While our group is diverse, what brings us together is a visceral desire to protect the land from development.

We first needed to prevent Drees from getting a zoning change from the current zoning of Residential Low-Density, 1 acre lots. While Drees states that they intended to “maximize green space” in actuality, Drees’ objective was to build as many houses as possible on the land. Looking at the topography, some 37 acres are undevelopable; Add in roads and other infrastructure, less than 70 acres are developable for housing. On those 70 acres, Drees wanted to build 209 houses, more than triple the density currently allowed.

The standing room only crowds at the two Planning and Zoning meetings saw over 20 people speaking against the proposal at each meeting and only one person speaking in favor. Many issues were presented by those who spoke, including the need to maintain greenspace, preserving the unique historic site, demolition of historic buildings, concerns about increased traffic, demands on Loveland’s infrastructure and the costs of the necessary improvements. Others spoke about the negative revenue stream to the city caused by the increased populations and adding students to the school district already using portable classrooms.

Loveland is on the verge of approving a new comprehensive master plan for the city which stipulates it should ‘continue to aggressively preserve land for open space to ensure that our community remains a green haven for our residents and wildlife.’ We agree and desire to partner with like-minded people to accomplish this goal.

Yes, Corporate Grail and Drees wanted to change the zoning to build a large compressed housing development because they would both make more money, but the community said no and many individual members of the Grail agreed.

The members of the Grailville Land Preservation Group have no motives other than honoring the legacy of the Grail and stewarding this land into the future in a way that preserves it for the benefit of all. We hope to have the opportunity to partner with the Grail to find an alternate path for the Grail land, one that incorporates many of the values that the Grail taught.

The real story that needs to be told is that everyday citizens living in and around Loveland spoke up to preserve the land and at least for now, preservation triumphed over development.

Tom Scovanner

On behalf of the Grailville Land Preservation Group

To reach out to help protect this sacred land, you can contact us on the Nextdoor app under the group ‘Grailville Land Preservation Group’ or follow our blog at grailvillesacredpathways.substack.com

EDITOR’S NOTE: After the Loveland Planning and Zoning Commission denied the request by Drees to rezone the property they were going to buy from the Grail the contract between the two parties was not extended. ([Complete Video] Rezoning of Grailville denied)

Jun 25, 2022
There are a substantial number of Grail people throughout this country and the world who want Grailville to survive and thrive

An Open Letter To the dear people of Loveland, Loveland Council, and Zoning board

by Trina Paulus

Loveland, What a beautiful name!

I have been following the saga concerning Grailville from the inside of the movement and with great gratitude for David Miller and Loveland Magazine’s efforts to make sure that we know what we’re doing if we let this rare place go to so-called “development” and away from a better more sustainable vision people are calling for. (The Grailville Archive)

Maybe it has taken getting to the edge of permanent loss to realize this treasure we are about to lose if we don’t turn things around.

After restraining myself from bursts of gratitude with each installment in Loveland Magazine I feel compelled to let the Loveland community know that there are a substantial number of Grail people throughout this country and the world who want Grailville to survive and thrive and we join our voices with the people of Loveland who are organizing and speaking up. We believe the outpouring of Loveland support reveals new possibilities for a Grailville with new purpose within both the local and Global community. Maybe it has taken getting to the edge of permanent loss to realize this treasure we are about to lose if we don’t turn things around. Although some of us are now older we would be willing to help this happen believing in the generosity of the young who bear the future to bring their hopes and strength to support Grail and the Loveland community efforts.

I think that there are those representing us who have not read the signs of these speedily changing times correctly. Their hearts and intentions may be good, but I deeply believe that there is a vast number of people, especially the young, who yearn for the kind of holistic life I was privileged to experience at age 18 and for the next 20 years as I built up the arts at Grailville until called to help grow a woman’s weaving and embroidery cooperative in Akhmim upper Egypt.

What the new Grailville could be I’m not sure, but the values that built it were strong and still attractive to the young people I am in touch with. These are the ones who fill the Permaculture courses at Central Rocky Mountains Permaculture Institute, (CRMPI.org) where I am vice president, or here at home in Montclair, NJ, feeding people, planting community gardens, and pollinator corridors stretching from state to state.

It is hard at 90 years to volunteer knowing that whatever spiffy wisdom and energy I might bring I also bring the liability of age. However, the recent support of the Loveland people and the series published in Loveland Magazine: https://lovelandmagazine.com/history-of-grailville/ makes me feel excited and young enough to offer to help in any way I can to revitalize this magnificent place as a new kind of community neighbor that needs many of us to make it a new reality.

I and others have a vision of those able to be renewed to continue the habit of hospitality Grailville was famous for.

We would be facing some of the pioneering challenges the Grail faced in the 1940s. Some of the buildings will not make it, but I and others have a vision of those able to be renewed to continue the habit of hospitality Grailville was famous for. Imagine the greenest architects we know who love old buildings leading workshops each summer for all who want to learn how to renew and re-inhabit places rather than tear down and build new. We also still have many acres of organic certifiable land ready for a new burst of production to raise and share food.

There are Grail elders and younger ones around the world who would love to help.

There are Grail elders and younger ones around the world who would love to help along with the Loveland and wider local community who may be eager for this chance and new challenge to use our one glorious human life for building something precious.

We can create a place that will be valuable beyond money for the good of all.

I await the next development with prayer. May what is best for all happen.

Forward in hope always,

Trina Paulus, Grail Member – celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Hope For the Flowers” (www.hopefortheflowers.com)

Read more about Trina Paulus from the pages of Loveland Magazine

[Grailville Archive] The Very Unpleasant Thing: That God Can Ask Everything…

[Video Archive] The holy nature of Grailville for a teenage girl

May 2, 2022

Why is Grailville important? A look at the Grail founding in Loveland

David Miller is the Publisher and Editor of Loveland Magazine

Grailville was a place to find your place in the world whatever that meant to you.

[WATCH VIDEO BELOW "Grailville: the early decades]

by David Miller

Loveland, Ohio – Elizabeth Murphy, a Symmes Township resident, along with lifelong Loveland resident Elizabeth Robinson made this video about the early years at Grailville. It was made for Grailville’s 65th anniversary in 2009.

Robinson said, “We made a short video with interviews so we could explain how Grailville came to be. All music is music recorded at Grailville from Grailville Choirs. Many of the founding or early members including my mother Mary Schickel, had passed on and we were losing this history.”

Robinson also added that there was a lot of mystery about what Grailville and the Grail was and how Grailville came to be. The video contains many back in the day vintage photos of the former farm and the many women who moved to those rolling hills just on the outskirts of Loveland.

From Holland. It was wartime. WWII. The women came when they did because if not then, they didn’t know if they would ever be able to leave Europe.

They came here looking for a farm with running water, enough buildings to house 50 people and within walking distance of a railroad station. They went two-by-two visiting farms and parishes, so much so they joked they were becoming real estate agents.

Liturgy was the unifying factor of the Grail community. There was a lot of singing. It became a quiet, peace-filled beautiful space; an agricultural and religious life.

The “Year School” was a training program for young women “focused on an integrated life of work and prayer, study and fun”.

Throughout the decades, the Grailville Retreat Center brought visitors from all parts of the world to spend time in Loveland, Ohio.

At one time a truckload of goats, 400 chickens, milk cows, pigs, and canning and preserving 10,000 quarts of farm product. It was described as a rich life, however one “materially simple”.

Spiritually and intellectually very rich. Very rich in things from the ground, sky, and God in many forms.

Trina Paulus said Grailville was a “simplicity” that was ideal for her as a young woman.

Art was equal to every other thing that happened at Grailville.

Visual arts, music, and writing.

Paulus said she thought that the Dutch brought tremendous respect for the arts when they came to this country and Loveland. “It was equal to every other thing we did.”

Grailville had a weaving guild.

Listen to how the Grail women reached beyond Loveland to the world.

They were not there to hold onto what they were doing. Many of the programs that Grailville started were spun out into the world beyond Loveland.

The women launched things that were much broader than themselves.

Grailville didn’t look like a church from the outside.

Mar 30, 2022

Loveland School Budget Cuts – Responsible Management?

Kim and Rick Donaldson live on Paxton Road in Miami Township

by Kim and Rick Donaldson

At its February 18th business meeting, the Loveland City School District Board of Education reviewed the administration’s updated five-year financial forecast, which includes annual operating expenditure cuts averaging $2.5 million and fee increases averaging $0.2 million.* The updated forecast still requires passage of a 6.95 mill operating levy, which will raise annual revenue by $6.3 million, to maintain an adequate cash balance through fiscal year 2024. Indeed, the included budget cuts were made for the express purpose of limiting the levy to only 6.95 mills. So, after cutting $2.5 million from expenditures, why do we need an additional $6.5 million (taxes plus fees) in revenue? Let’s look at the numbers.

This graphic is the Donaldson’s original presentation of the data sourced from the Ohio Department of Education and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics as noted on the chart and in the list of references.

As shown in the included chart, both five-year forecasts start from a very high baseline expenditure level established in 2019 when operating expenditures increased 13% from the previous year.** That increase was the culmination of an accelerated spending trend that started in 2015, bringing the total four-year increase to 26%. By comparison, the cumulative inflation rate was only 7.7% during the same period.*** This rapid expenditure increase quickly overtook the 23% annual revenue increase in the years following the 2014 levy.

Since median income tends to be tied, albeit loosely, to inflation, expenditure increases that exceed the inflation rate make our schools increasingly less affordable to taxpayers.

Furthermore, it is important to recognize that the spending cuts and fee increases included in the updated forecast are all relative to the previous forecast, which anticipated increasing expenditures by 4% annually. Since the Federal Reserve Board targets a 2% annual inflation rate, the plan was to increase spending by twice the rate of inflation. The updated forecast anticipates annual increases of 3%, which is still 50% above the target inflation rate. Since median income tends to be tied, albeit loosely, to inflation, expenditure increases that exceed the inflation rate make our schools increasingly less affordable to taxpayers.

As a more affordable alternative, we advocate limiting operating expenditures to 2015 levels on a per student basis, adjusted for inflation. As shown on the chart, this approach would result in spending much lower than the updated five-year forecast and, more importantly, lower than current projected revenue. It would thus obviate the need for any additional operating levy. It is worth noting that this would be consistent with, and a continuation of, expenditure trends from 2006 through 2015.

If a 2015 baseline seems too aggressive, the same approach using a 2018 baseline could be considered. Although it would require an additional levy, the levy vote could be postponed to November 2021 and would only need to be around 1 mill to maintain the same cash balance as in the updated forecast.

These particular cuts, chosen by the administration, raise some serious questions.

So, what would we cut? After all, in the same February 18th presentation we were told that we will have to eliminate teaching and staff positions even if we approve the levy in March. We have also been warned that failure to pass the levy in March will result in additional cuts, including staff, teachers and high school transportation. These particular cuts, chosen by the administration, raise some serious questions. If we could afford current staffing levels in 2018, why can we not afford them in 2021 with nearly 13% higher expenditures in the updated forecast?**** Even if we choose to defeat the levy and limit expenditures to inflation-adjusted 2018 levels, why could we not continue to support essentially the same staff and transportation that we did in 2018? Where is the additional money going, and why has the administration chosen to cut staff and transportation?

Before we head to the polls in March, we need to have satisfactory answers to these questions that are quantitative, complete and transparent. We need to know whether the proposed budget and associated cuts are indicative of fiscally responsible management for the benefit of our children, or emotional manipulation designed to get the levy passed. Ultimately, it comes down to a question of trust.

References:

*5 Year Forecast Update from 18 February 2020 Board Meeting: https://go.boarddocs.com/oh/love/Board.nsf/files/BLY4FG0B571B/$file/5%20Year%20Forecast%20Presentation.pdf

**Ohio Department of Education District Profile (Cupp) Reports: http://education.ohio.gov/Topics/Finance-and-Funding/School-Payment-Reports/District-Profile-Reports

***US Bureau of Labor Statistics CPI Inflation Calculator:
https://www.bls.gov/data/inflation_calculator.htm

****Ohio Department of Education District Teacher Information: https://reportcard.education.ohio.gov/download

Feb 26, 2020
Board moves to place 6.95 mills on the March 2020 ballot

Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland Board of Education met on Tuesday, December 17 and unanimously passed a resolution to place an operating levy of 6.95 mills on the March 2020 ballot. The deadline to file the resolution with the Hamilton County Board of Elections is today, December 18.

Neither Board Superintendent Amy Crouse or Treasurer/CFO Kevin Hawley wanted to speak to Loveland Magazine after the meeting, so details of the implications of the levy are sketchy. Neither Crouse or Hawley would discuss the budget cuts they are proposing or the amount the levy would provide the District. However, Crouse did say last week in a press release, “Approximately $2.7 million dollars of budget cuts will be made in conjunction with the levy. They will include a combination of reductions in the instructional cycle budget (textbooks, etc.), staff, and contracted services, among others.”

Last week’s press release also said:

The 6.95 millage levy translates into approximately $20/month ($243 annually) per $100,000 of appraised home value as determined by the county auditor.

Below is a LOVELAND MAGAZINE TV video of the 14-minute meeting.

In the interview below Dale Friemoth, a member of the

Loveland Voice on Facebook: “Voter Oversight, Involvement, Concern for Education.”

District Ad Hoc Advisory committee that was appointed to discuss how the District should move forward after the defeat of a combined operating and bond issue that was on the November ballot discusses the Board’s vote. He talked about the new levy and also about a new community organization that has formed, Loveland Voice. Friemoth said they will meet soon to discuss their actions going forward. One thing he stressed is that he feels that the Board must take purchasing the Grailville land off the table at their next meeting if they want voter support for the new levy.

Below is the Resolution that was to be delivered to the Hamilton County Board of Elections today.

Dec 18, 2019
School Board meets Tuesday for March levy vote

Board members, Michele Pettit, Ned Portune, Eileen Washburn, President Art Jarvis, and Vice President Kathryn Lorenz

Loveland, Ohio – The Loveland City School District has called a special meeting for Tuesday, December 17. This meeting will be held to consider a “resolution to proceed” in order to place a March operating levy on the ballot.

The Board will also go into executive session to discuss employment matters.

The 6 PM meeting is in the Loveland Intermediate and Middle School’s Media Center at 757 S. Lebanon Road.

Treasurer Resolutions

Approve a resolution declaring intent to proceed with election on the question of an additional tax in excess of the 10 mill limitation and certifying the same to the board of elections per ORC 5705.21.

The Board of Education met on Tuesday, December 10, and passed a resolution of necessity to place an operating levy of 6.95 mills on the March 2020 ballot. The decision was five weeks after a failed combined operating and permanent improvement/bond issue on November 5.

According to a press release issued by the Distric, the 6.95 millage levy translates into approximately $20/month ($243 annually) per $100,000 of appraised home value as determined by the county auditor. The board is to have the millage amount certified by the county auditor and intends to pass a resolution to proceed on December 17. The deadline to submit ballot language to the county boards of elections is December 18.

Dec 15, 2019