Richmond Heights Schools commended for holding public information sessions on district funding
It’s not always easy for the general public to gain a complete and clear understanding of a school district’s financial situation.
That’s why we believe Richmond Heights Schools is taking the right approach by hosting public information sessions on district funding.
Around 30 people attended an April 20 session looking at the March failed tax levy. News-Herald reporter Frank Mecham reported on the program that also examined what Richmond Heights Schools will do in the future to deal with a predicted increase in students from Belle Oaks Marketplace, a new housing and shopping development.
Topics ranged from the programs that the school district offers and upgrades that the campus has had.
Several questions from the audience about the school voucher program came up. One resident said that they didn’t understand why they would have to pay for students who might never see the inside of a Richmond Heights school.
Superintendent Marnisha Brown hopes to educate the public on the realities the district faces when it comes to funding and services.
She said the district wants to inform the public about why it sought the additional levy.
“This is the first of a series of community conversations where the school district is looking to engage the community around the direction of the district financially as well as what they would like to see in improvements and any collaboration,” Brown said during an interview with Mecham after a question-and-answer session.
“The goal is not to work in isolation, but to hear from our community,” she added. “What we found in the past is that there were a lot of things that were stated in social media and printed on flyers that were not true. What we found is that we have to do a better job on getting the facts out to the community, so that they can make an informed decision.”
She said that one myth was that the school was mismanaging funds and that the school had been gaining money from the new developments. In response, one panel that included District Treasurer Cooper Martin said that there were multiple audits, including a state adult, that have not found any mismanagement of funding. In fact, the district was a winner of a clean record award in 2020.
“We have had the clean auditors award for the past several years,” Brown said. “So, a lot of myths around financial management and educational improvement are just not true. The other piece is that some statements have been made that have money or been receiving money from Belle Oaks or some other partner, and that is just not true.
“What we want people to understand is that the funding of a school district, unfortunately, is on the backs of property owners,” she added. “And while the state of Ohio has deemed it unconstitutional, they have not offered a remedy. So, those are some of the things that we want to get out into the community because there is a thought that everything is in our purview and control, but that is just not that case.”
Residents will have more opportunities to hear from Brown. Another community session is set for mid-June at the Richmond Heights Community Center.
She hopes that the district can build on what was shared at the most recent meeting, and says her team will look at the feedback that was provided to tailor the next session.
The News-Herald encourages Richmond Heights residents to attend more of the public information sessions. These programs should provide an ideal opportunity to learn some important lessons about the district’s financial challenges.
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