Loveland Magazine

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Tag: levy

Loveland Board of Education voting soon on a facility master plan for the district

It’s an exciting time for Building Tiger Nation!

by Loveland City School District Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse

Over the past year, the Loveland City School District has intensified its work in developing a facility master plan. The last full assessment of school buildings took place in 1998 – more than two decades ago. While we’ve diligently maintained and cared for our buildings, a thorough review of the facilities had to be put off for years as we weathered the economy. In the meantime, 21st century thinking around education has funneled dramatic changes and advancements in both building security and the use of educational spaces. A facility master plan for Loveland will allow us to address the repairs, renovations, additions and upgrades the school buildings need to accommodate our growing population of students and the kind of education they deserve.

Since the start of the 2018-19 school year, hundreds of dedicated community members have joined us in meetings with staff, students and architects to provide input into the facility master plan. In addition to the daily work led by the Building Tiger Nation Steering Committee, we’ve spent more than 50 hours engaging directly with our stakeholders: we have tapped the knowledge of focus groups to understand the needs in areas like STEM, athletics and fine arts, and we have involved community members in open finance committee discussions. We’ve learned about your priorities for the student experience and how our Tigers should be prepared to enter college and career after high school. You spoke and we listened! We have intentionally sought and systematically gathered your feedback to supplement the architect’s assessment data, which will help inform the Loveland Board of Education’s decision on a master plan in mid-April.

Over the past couple of months, the board has closely studied the master plan options in order to come to a decision that will meet the needs of our students, but also take into account cost, length and phasing of construction/renovation projects, and your priorities. The “renewal index” – the cost of upkeep and repairs of facilities over time compared to building new – is high for several buildings in the district, and replacing them would be more cost effective. Because the land where the buildings currently reside doesn’t meet state-recommended acreage for a campus, the board has entered into a contract for the option to purchase 110 acres of land for new construction. The availability of land within the district boundaries is extremely limited and securing the option to purchase is imperative in planning for the future of Loveland Schools.

After the board approves a master plan, it will consider a resolution to go on the ballot in November. If a bond issue is approved by voters – along with an operating levy that is necessary to keep our programs running – architects will embark on a year-long design process with the aim of starting construction and renovations in 2021. As we dot the i’s and cross the t’s in this important process, we are immensely grateful for the community’s involvement and commitment to the opportunities we are creating for our students!

In service to our Tigers.

Apr 5, 2019
Financial update from Loveland City School District

We are tremendously grateful to our community for the continued support for our schools, which are an important part of Loveland and the value the city brings to its residents.

A Guest Column by Kevin Hawley,

The most important financial planning work we do occurs each year with the five-year financial forecast. Why? It’s simple. Budgets and financial planning tools are a statement of the organization’s priorities. At Loveland, you will see in our five-year financial forecast that our priorities are to send dollars to the classroom for students and about making our dollars stretch.

Loveland’s financial forecast provides a detailed look at the historical and projected financial sources. We use it when assessing the financial health of our district and in identifying any stressors to the budget or future challenges.

We were able to keep that promise and even stretch the money a bit longer.

We continue to show steady fiscal management thanks to the May 2014 levy that was passed by voters. That levy helped ensure fiscal stability for the last number of years. As good news for residents, at the time of passage, the board committed that the levy would last through fiscal year 2018. We were able to keep that promise and even stretch the money a bit longer.

Right now, the forecast shows that we are coming up on the need for an additional operating levy. That would likely occur in November 2019

Right now, the forecast shows that we are coming up on the need for an additional operating levy. That would likely occur in November 2019 as collection would need to begin the following calendar year (2020).

So where does the state come in? In Loveland, the state provides 28% of our funding. While we are appreciative for this amount, it can vary depending upon the legislature. Experts tell us to leave this amount flat for the foreseeable future. Our schools will know more once the legislature approves a new budget mid-next year. One thing that is clear in Ohio is that it is up to local communities to support their schools.

We also know that our facilities need upgrades and modernization to meet our students’ needs and the standards required by 21^stcentury learning.

Regarding our facilities, we continue to make necessary updates in our school buildings. New this school year, we added much-needed safety and security updates at each school. In addition, we implemented more technology and instructional material for our students. We were able to do this with the funds from the 2014 operating levy passed by voters.

Kevin Hawley is Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer of Loveland City School District

Looking ahead, ensuring strong financial planning will remain an important part of the district’s planning and of the Building Tiger Nation research. While they may seem newer, many of our schools are decades old and are becoming increasingly more costly to maintain. We also know that our facilities need upgrades and modernization to meet our students’ needs and the standards required by 21^stcentury learning. While the cost of new or upgraded facilities and buildings is looked at separately from our operating expenses, our Board is considering how to address both of these issues in the coming year.

We are tremendously grateful to our community for the continued support for our schools, which are an important part of Loveland and the value the city brings to its residents. It is my privilege to serve the Tiger Family and to ensure that we do everything we can to provide our teachers and staff with what they need in order to prepare our students for tomorrow, today.

Welcome to All About Kids We invite you to come visit one of our convenient locations, talk to our staff and teachers and learn why.

Oct 18, 2018
Loveland School District Financial Update

Terrah Floyd is the Interim Treasurer & CFO of the Loveland City School District

By Terrah Floyd,

Loveland’s recent update to the district’s financial projections show that the district remains committed to keeping the promises made from the last levy – to make the last levy last through 2018 through conservative fiscal management while maintaining excellent educational opportunities for the students we serve. The district’s forecast, called the five-year financial forecast, was approved by the Board at the April 17 Business Meeting. The five-year financial forecast is a tool that aligns our income and expenses to our district’s current and future goals with respect to academics, operations and facilities. There are some updates to note.

The district is investing in additional school building safety and security updates. These are needed in order to keep pace with the current safety and security needs and to reflect the changing times.

First, the forecast shows that the district is investing in additional school building safety and security updates. These are needed in order to keep pace with the current safety and security needs and to reflect the changing times. They include placing fire-code approved locks on interior doors of our buildings, and plan for increased school resource officer presence.

Plans include placing fire-code approved locks on interior doors of our buildings, and plan for increased school resource officer presence.

The district is engaging in a Master Planning process with the community. This is an investment, and it is critical to the long-term planning and operations of the district. Aging buildings bring significant costs, and in order to help minimize these for the future we are working now to make sure that we are deliberate about our next steps.

In fact, we will be able to stretch it a bit longer, and anticipate that an operating levy will be needed in 2019.

Loveland continues to stretch every dollar and to wisely plan for the future. Our Board of Education kept the promise of making the last levy last through 2018. In fact, we will be able to stretch it a bit longer, and anticipate that an operating levy will be needed in 2019. Operating levies fund the day-to-day operations of our schools like staff, programs, textbooks and supplies.

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 the district the opportunity to invest in and enrich the excellent education we provide by enhancing the classroom experience for the 4,800 students we serve. 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.

Jun 4, 2018
Loveland School levy predicted for May 2019 ballot

The future of Loveland City Schools

Loveland Board of Education talks five-year forecast planning and Destination Loveland needs; looks to May 2019 as potential goal for action on both

A statement from the District:

The Loveland City School District’s five-year forecast projections show a need for the district to be back on the ballot in the future for an operating levy; during the September Board of Education Business Meeting, this was the information shared with Board Members. After careful consideration in committee meetings, the Board determined during public discussion at the October 17 Business Meeting to set a potential target of May 2019 to have a proposal ready for voters to consider.

Loveland Treasurer/CFO Brett Griffith

“When the Loveland City School District passed a 5.6 mill operating levy in May of 2014 we made a promise that the money from that levy would continue to fund the district until 2018, and that promise was maintained due to compelling overall fiscal stewardship of all district employees and fiscally conservative management of expenditures,” said Loveland Treasurer/CFO Brett Griffith. “Our need for an operating levy is very real, and I applaud this Board for taking the steps necessary now to properly plan for a financially stable future. Of course we will provide updates on details for this levy to our community as they are developed.”

Additionally, during the 2016-17 and present school year, Loveland teachers, staff, administrators and the Board of Education put laser focus on three key areas: academic growth, classroom innovation and Tiger care in an effort to optimize the student experience for the 4,700 Tiger students the Loveland City School District serves. What developed from that focus was the Destination Loveland Task Force – a group of Loveland parents, community members and business leaders who joined educators, staff and administrators in developing future goals. This group spent the better part of the 2016-17 school year developing what the Loveland student experience should look like.

Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse

Now the Loveland Board of Education is ready to invest in putting a more formal structure and definite timeline to that important work. At the October 17 Board of Education Business Meeting, Board Members – after hearing reports from the facilities and finances committees – charged Loveland Interim Superintendent Dr. Amy Crouse and Loveland Business Manager John Ames with the task to begin to develop a plan for the future facility needs in line with district goals, coupled with a financial plan. The potential timeline is to have a proposal ready for voters to consider a bond issue by May 2019.

“It is the development of a master plan for our district,” said Dr. Crouse. “Our facilities needs are district-wide and growing each new school year; it is both an issue that must be addressed now and an opportunity for the district to think and plan for the future. We will be working with a seasoned team accustomed to the size and scope of the planning that we need to do. This was the right move for the Board of Education, and I’m excited to take the process that was started last year to the next level.”

RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery

RP Diamond is the exclusive retailer of LOVELAND HIGH SCHOOL SPIRIT WEAR Welcome to RP Diamond Printing & Embroidery located at 370 Loveland Madeira Road

Nov 16, 2017