Superintendent Community Updates
9.14.23
Dear Community Members:
Today Local Report Cards will be released by the Ohio Department of Education. The state is using a star system to indicate performance instead of letter grades.
Eastwood Schools earned 4.5 stars out of 5 on the overall rating. The Achievement grade which measures the academic performance of students on the day they tested was 5 Stars. To me it is the most straightforward measure that you can look at over time. The district met the performance indicator target in 13 of 20 areas narrowly missing 2 more. We have been steadily improving in this area since 2020. Last year we met 12. The number of assessments and the make up have changed since 2015 and settled in at the current number of 20 in 2020. I like where we are trending.
We also received a 5 Star rating for Graduation Rate which is up from 4 Stars last year. Eastwood had never missed the Graduation indicator prior to Covid. We are back on track.
On the Progress metric, we earned 3 stars. 3 stars actually means that on average, by the state’s measure, kids made one year of growth. Our Gap Closing was 5 stars which measures whether or not all groups of students from Gifted to Students with Disabilities are meeting state targets for performance. We seem to do well with this, but I do not find it particularly useful. On Early Literacy, we earned 3 stars. This is intended to measure whether or not students who were deemed “not on target” for reading in K-3 moved to “on target”. I am very comfortable with our student growth in reading at the elementary level. On other measures, our students made substantial progress. Along with our staff, I feel like the new Really Great Reading program we put in place last year will improve student performance. We are already seeing it. The systematic approach to phonics instruction works very well with our reading series. In meetings with the elementary grade levels last week, they all see the benefits!
So, what are my takeaways from the assessments? We continue to see student growth coming out of Covid. To put a finer point on that, many of our K-8 grade levels are seeing better results from the beginning of the year MAP assessments this year than we had previously. Another sign that things are improving overall. Lots of optimism! Other than that, I am really pleased with the work of our teachers to address the needs of students academically and socially. Our commitment to building a student that is resilient and ready to grow remains a key focus. The Eagle Way never grows old or tired because the principles are timeless.
Have a great Thursday!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
9.11.23
Dear Community Members:
Welcome to Week 4! I just have a couple of things to share with you this week, but we do have the August Financial Report.
Quick reminder - We do have a scheduled 2-hour delay next Tuesday September 19th for Professional Development.
HOME FOOTBALL GAMES
This is the dreaded “kids need to be supervised by their parents” email that we have to send out periodically.
As we prepare for the remainder of the football season, please review the following student guidelines with your child. While we are aware that our football games offer our younger students the opportunity to socialize with each other, we find that they are not always supervised by their parents and are engaging in unsafe activities. For the safety of everyone in attendance, the guidelines below will be enforced for the remainder of the year.
1. Students will not be permitted to loiter by the concession stand, the open areas by the shot put, or under the bleachers. They will not be permitted to play games in any of these areas. Students are permitted to travel to and from the bleachers to the restroom and concession stand, but they will not be permitted to loiter and gather in groups.
2. Students will not be permitted to bring footballs, frisbees, or other projectiles to use at the games. If a student brings any of these items, they will be confiscated for the duration of the game and will be returned after the game is finished.
3. Students will not be permitted to run around in the stadium during the game.
4. If students do not comply with our directions, their parents will be contacted, and the students will have to remain under their immediate supervision for the remainder of the game.
Once again, our objective is to provide a safe and enjoyable environment for all of our spectators. We truly appreciate your time in reviewing these guidelines with your students, and we thank you for your understanding and support throughout the rest of the season.
AUGUST FINANCIAL REPORT
There are a couple of important notes for you in the August Financial Report. Please take a look at some of the numbers below in red. These are actual revenues and expenses as compared to last year.
|
Eastwood Schools Financials |
Monday, September 11, 2023 |
|||
|
REVENUE |
FY 2023 |
FY 2024 |
$$ change |
% change |
|
General Property Tax |
$3,421,612.92 |
$3,370,883.16 |
-$50,729.76 |
-1.48% |
|
Tangible Personal Property Tax |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
0.00% |
|
Income Tax |
$876,633.70 |
$873,956.21 |
-$2,677.49 |
-0.31% |
|
Unrestricted Grants-In-Aid |
$1,114,074.74 |
$1,167,100.45 |
$53,025.71 |
4.76% |
|
Restricted Grants-In-Aid |
$49,023.17 |
$47,233.30 |
-$1,789.87 |
-3.65% |
|
Property Tax Allocation |
$1,946.83 |
$0.00 |
-$1,946.83 |
-100.00% |
|
All Other |
$56,076.95 |
$129,165.22 |
$73,088.27 |
130.34% |
|
Advances / Other |
$56,076.26 |
$56,026.96 |
-$49.30 |
-0.09% |
|
TOTAL REVENUE |
$5,575,444.57 |
$5,644,365.30 |
$68,920.73 |
1.24% |
|
EXPENSES |
FY 2023 |
FY 2024 |
$$ change |
% change |
|
Personnel Services |
$1,957,172.60 |
$1,655,731.49 |
-$301,441.11 |
-15.40% |
|
Retirement / Insurance |
$801,459.58 |
$780,773.40 |
-$20,686.18 |
-2.58% |
|
Purchased Services |
$183,428.89 |
$140,684.39 |
-$42,744.50 |
-23.30% |
|
Supplies / Materials |
$149,594.97 |
$161,837.82 |
$12,242.85 |
8.18% |
|
Capital Outlay |
$153,043.82 |
-$22,216.67 |
-$175,260.49 |
-114.52% |
|
Other Objects |
$253,916.99 |
$297,458.20 |
$43,541.21 |
17.15% |
|
Advances / Transfers |
$1,336,628.75 |
$1,335,074.25 |
-$1,554.50 |
-0.12% |
|
TOTAL EXPENSES |
$4,835,245.60 |
$4,349,342.88 |
-$485,902.72 |
-10.05% |
|
REVENUES vs. EXPENSES |
$740,198.97 |
$1,295,022.42 |
$554,823.45 |
74.96% |
REVENUE
There are two numbers that I want to point out. One is positive and the other is negative.
GENERAL PROPERTY TAX – This number being down by $50,729.76 over last year is a concern, but it can be explained by the continued uncertainty around the Nexus Pipeline. For a period, it appeared that there was going to be a resolution to the litigation surrounding the actual value of the pipeline. We have discussed this before, but in essence, Nexus feels the value of the pipeline is significantly below the higher value assessed by the Ohio Tax Commissioner. That is why they appealed the valuation of the line. The sides came together on a settlement, but the County Auditor in Lorain County objected. Now there is a legal battle over whether or not he has the authority to do so. It will be interesting, but we are stuck getting 39% of the value of the pipeline whereas we had been getting 47%.
UNRESTRICTED GRANTS-IN-AID – This is the line item where we receive our State Aid. We will see a small increase this year, but this is better than we had been projecting/receiving in the past where we basically flat funded.
EXPENSES
Again, there are two numbers that I would like to draw your attention to because they explain what we think is going on with expenses.
Personnel Services/Salaries – down $301,441 or 15.4% over last year at the same time
Retirement/Insurance – down $20,686 or 2.58%
We believe the salary number does not accurately reflect our current year spend over last year because of timing issues last year. If it was the product of something meaningful from an expense reduction, the Retirement/Insurance line would be down far more than 2.58%.
We believe these will be slightly higher than last year, not lower. In the coming months that should play out.
Expenses are lower this year than they were last overall, but they had to be since we did not buy 4 buses.
Overall, we will need to make some adjustments for the lower revenues in property taxes based on our plan, but we will hopefully see some slower growth/reductions in our budgeted expenses.
That is it for this week!
We wish you well!!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
9.1.23
Dear Community Members:
It has been a very good week here, and we are finding a rhythm! It is early, but there has been a very positive vibe in the buildings. I know it is early, but it is very encouraging.
I have a couple of things for you today.
NO SCHOOL TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 5th – MS/HS TO FOCUS ON SCHOOL SAFETY
We have a professional development day set for Tuesday September 5th. The elementary staff is finishing required training for the new dyslexia mandates from the state.
Our MS and HS teachers will be looking at school safety. Last spring, we had a safety and vulnerability assessment completed by the Educator School Safety Network. Dr. Amy Klinger is a nationally known expert, and her team is based in Sylvania. They shared information with the admin team last May, and we set several priorities based on feedback from their visit. On our opening day, we shared those priorities with staff and are now looking at some specifics. One of those includes a training with Deputy Jared Cooper on the ALICE protocols.
Last year, we trained teams at each building on conducting Behavioral Threat Assessments. That, along with our continued efforts to build and maintain a strong and supportive school culture, are essential preventative steps in limiting the risk of a critical incident. Our training and discussion this year center on making sure we understand how best to react if something happens.
STILL LOOKING FOR WORKERS
We are still in need of several positions districtwide.
1. Recess Monitor – We are looking for a recess monitor for the elementary. This is a great job for someone looking to do something in the middle of the day. We always have a need for subs in the district and oftentimes we may be able to work that around the recess duties. If interested, please contact Joe Wank at jwank@eastwoodschools.org.
2. Classified Subs – We are looking for people who are willing to sub in various positions throughout the district. We need sub custodians, aides/paraprofessionals, bus drivers, secretarial, and food service. If you have an interest, please contact our office at 419-833-6411, and we can direct you from there. All positions will require an application, background check, and some will need to have an aide permit. You can find the application at https://www.eastwoodschools.org/about-our-district/employment. Choose the Classified Employment Application.
3. We are still looking for middle school boy’s basketball coaches. If interested, please contact Jodi Zunk at jzunk@eastwoodschools.org.
GREATER TOLEDO CHALLENGER LITTLE LEAGUE FUNDRAISER
The Greater Toledo Challenger Little League provides opportunities for children with physical disabilities to enjoy playing sports. They have a golf outing on September 30th at Hidden Hills to help raise money to support their programming. The flyer is attached.
MIDDLETON TOWNSHIP COMMUNITY SAFETY DAY
Middleton Township will host their annual Community Safety Day on September 16th from 10:00-2:00. There is also a flyer attached to this email.
It should be a beautiful weekend!
Best wishes!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
8.26.23
Dear Community Members:
Week one is in the books! All in all, it was a very good start. The buildings were humming and kids were getting back in the swing of things.
I have just a couple of things for you today.
GOOD LUCK TO OUR CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS AS THEY OPEN WITH THE FIRST ANNUAL DARIN GOODMAN NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY MEET!
Tonight, the CC teams will host a night meet at the campus with the first race starting at 8:40. It will be in memory of EHS grad Darin Goodman who passed away unexpectedly several years ago.
This will be a unique experience to be sure. I know the coaches and parents have been hard at work getting things ready. It should be awesome!
TRANSPORTATION NOTES
It was a bumpy start for transportation, and I want to give you some of the backstory.
We have used a routing software program for several years. In August, we began to see some issues with the software, where changes to the routes were not saving correctly. In addition, there were changes to some of the routes to try and group them together more. We also hired several new drivers who had varying degrees of local knowledge. Finally, there are always issues at the start of every year with pickup times etc.
The issues with the routing software were the most significant. Initially, no one in customer support could recreate what was happening. Mr. Hannan would add stops and get things the way he wanted them, and they looked right on his screen. However, when he printed them they would be different. Just the other day he showed me an example for pickups on College Ave. here in Pemberville. The printout had a couple of turns that were nowhere to be found when you looked at the routes he built. Couple that with a new driver who is not from Pemberville and you can see the mess.
It was not until customer support had remoted into his machine and saw for themselves what was happening that they finally understood. They also had no idea why and no solutions.
We finally learned that they had a failure in their cloud storage that made saving slow so Mr. Hannan started working overnight when the traffic was light. That did not correct all of the problems, but as the week went on, things began to get better.
I had a conversation with senior members of the company and we think we have a plan and the support needed to make things better.
My conversation with them is not unlike the conversations parents were having with us. What we want are solutions and resolutions to problems. We may be interested in why there was a problem, but what we want is to know that things are fixed. Period.
Things were better on Friday. Now we have kindergarten students starting on Monday and that will add a new level of complexity since many are riding a bus for the first time. We are working to make sure things improve each day. I want to thank Mr. Hannon, Mrs. Richards and all of our drivers for pitching in and working to solve problems on the fly. It has been stressful for everyone, including parents.
LUCKEY ROAD
The weather this week impacted the timelines for completing the paving project on Luckey. They are out this morning and working today. That will be helpful. They have said that they will work with us, so while there may be some slow driving, we should be able to work around it. This nuisance will be over soon.
FALL FOG
This morning was a perfect example of why fog can be a challenge in the fall. Visibilities changed over a period of time and varied from place to place. We would have likely gone to school on time only to see things thicken up later…in spots.
The best thing I can tell you is to make sure kids leave a little early on those mornings, take their time, and make sure they have their lights on. We try to do our best and monitor things, but this is one thing you cannot project.
If we get some cool, clear nights with no wind this week, we may be dealing with fog for the mornings.
HEAT/AC/FACILITIES
I was told that some in the community were asking about AC in the Middle School and High School in light of the warm days we had this week. I have some thoughts below that may or may not answer some of the questions people have, and I want to put them in the context of a longer term facilities strategy.
1. At some point in the next 3,5,10 years, Eastwood residents will need to decide if they want to proceed with a MAJOR facilities project to replace or renovate the MS and HS. Given the increase in the cost of construction and scope of the project, this will be a $50-$60 million project.
2. In light of that, we have to make sure the work we do in the buildings is reasonable and necessary for operations and not something we are going to invest significant money in only to knock it down before there is any real return on the investment. We are constantly evaluating this when looking to maintain these buildings.
a. A great example is the wireless access points and new instructional boards in the MS and HS. Depending on when a new project would take place, these could very well be harvested and used in other places in the district.
3. In 2008, we looked to add AC into the HS itself as part of a bond issue and the cost, for just the HS, was $1 million. In today’s dollars, to do both buildings, the cost would be triple that or more. Spending that kind of money on something you may replace a couple of years later may not be a good strategy.
4. As we look ahead to a long-term solution for the HS (built in 1960) and the MS (built in 1969), we need to consider partnering with the Ohio Facilities Construction Commission – OFCC. They will contribute 36% to the cost of the project, but we will have to wait in line for our turn. There is no accurate timetable on when that will happen.
Finally, I am going to be a little direct here so please bear with me. In one of my first couple of years, we went to school on a Friday morning where it was -4 degrees and the wind chill was around -12. It got colder than predicted and no one in the media made a big deal about it. We went to school with no fanfare and everything was fine. The following week, under nearly identical weather conditions, there were watches and warnings and stories about dire consequences of frostbite. Well, you can imagine what happened.
The weather on Wednesday and Thursday was nearly identical. In fact, it was actually warmer on Wednesday and the sun was out and hot. Of course, the headlines were all abuzz on Thursday, and it was understandable. I will tell you that we had students in Luckey, Webster, Pemberville and Lemoyne – on third floors – on days like this. We survived. I remember Eric Ward had a thermometer in his room at Luckey that read 100 degrees on one September afternoon. We did not release early.
All of this is to say, it gets hot and it gets cold. No one has any fun on these kinds of days, but they are part of what we do. Sometimes, we have to learn to deal with adversity and power through things.
I hope all of you have a great weekend!!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
8.15.23
Dear Community Members:
As we hit the midpoint of August, the Pemberville Fair starts tomorrow and school a week after that. Things are ramping up all over the district, including on the roadways around the district.
I have several items for you today including the July Financial Report.
STATE OF OHIO HAS ISSUED NEW REDUCED MEAL PRICE
Beginning this school year, 2023-2024, there will be no cost for REDUCED price eligible student meals. Any unpaid lunch fees from last year will still need to be paid.
NOTE: If you qualify for reduced lunch prices, your school fees will be reduced by half.
Should you have any questions or concerns feel free to contact Karen Brown at kbrown@eastwoodschools.org
BREAKFAST FOR STARS
Last spring, I shared with you that Eastwood Local Schools will be funding the before and after school program called STARS. It had been funded through a federal grant that has expired. Along with that, the program that provided free breakfast to all students through the STARS program ended.
This year, only students who qualify for free or reduced lunches will receive a free breakfast at STARS. Others will have to enter their number and be charged $1.75 for breakfast.
LUCKEY ROAD REPAVING
Beginning Thursday, work will begin on the milling and repaving of Luckey Road. They will begin grinding a layer off the top of the road and once that is complete, they will repave the road. A couple of notes from speaking with the County Roads staff.
1. Luckey Road will be open for the game Friday night.
2. When they begin paving, they will close a mile of road, pave it, then open it after it cools. They will pave mile sections from south to north which helps us!
3. There is a chance that they will be paving on the section of Luckey between Sugar Ridge and Devil’s Hole on the first couple of days of school. I will be sending out notes during the mornings sharing where some of the closures may be.
JULY FINANCIAL REPORT
Over the years, I have mentioned that one-month comparisons are always tricky and sometimes there is not a great deal to learn from the regarding trends. This year is no different. You can see that there are some very different comparisons, but there are explanations for each.
| Eastwood Schools Financials | Wednesday, August 2, 2023 | |||
| REVENUE | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | $$ change | % change |
| General Property Tax | $2,222,720.33 | $3,359,382.23 | $1,136,661.90 | 51.14% |
| Tangible Personal Property Tax | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| Income Tax | $876,633.70 | $873,956.21 | -$2,677.49 | -0.31% |
| Unrestricted Grants-In-Aid | $532,799.30 | $535,975.57 | $3,176.27 | 0.60% |
| Restricted Grants-In-Aid | $24,472.87 | $24,732.04 | $259.17 | 1.06% |
| Property Tax Allocation | $0.00 | $0.00 | $0.00 | 0.00% |
| All Other | $12,656.59 | $47,352.26 | $34,695.67 | 274.13% |
| Advances / Other | $53,110.79 | $55,555.96 | $2,445.17 | 4.60% |
| TOTAL REVENUE | $3,722,393.58 | $4,896,954.27 | $1,174,560.69 | 31.55% |
| EXPENSES | FY 2023 | FY 2024 | $$ change | % change |
| Personnel Services | $1,122,714.89 | $845,990.43 | -$276,724.46 | -24.65% |
| Retirement / Insurance | $431,293.29 | $376,038.65 | -$55,254.64 | -12.81% |
| Purchased Services | $124,203.91 | $89,903.44 | -$34,300.47 | -27.62% |
| Supplies / Materials | $52,951.89 | $79,810.35 | $26,858.46 | 50.72% |
| Capital Outlay | $0.00 | -$22,216.67 | -$22,216.67 | 100.00% |
| Other Objects | $126,223.45 | $186,428.22 | $60,204.77 | 47.70% |
| Advances / Transfers | $1,336,628.75 | $1,335,074.25 | -$1,554.50 | -0.12% |
| TOTAL EXPENSES | $3,194,016.18 | $2,891,028.67 | -$302,987.51 | -9.49% |
| REVENUES vs. EXPENSES | $528,377.40 | $2,005,925.60 | $1,477,548.20 | 279.64% |
GENERAL PROPERTY TAX – Through July, we had received $1,136,661 more than we received last year through the same time. This is a timing thing. I would expect this to be very close to last year by the time we close out the month of August.
That accounts for nearly all of the difference between last year and this for the first month of the fiscal year.
EXPENSES – In the first two lines you can see decreases in both salaries and retirement/insurance. There are a couple of things that will impact these line items until September. The first is a 3 pay month last July and the second is the transition from all employees moving from 26 pays to 24. These numbers will swing positive in the coming months, but we do expect to see a more normal increase in those line items as compared to last year.
Overall, this is a good start to the new fiscal year.
Have a great rest of the week!!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
8.1.23
Dear Community Members:
I hope this finds you well and enjoying these last weeks of summer. Fair season is here with the Wood County and Pemberville Fairs.
I do have a couple of notes for you today.
PERMANENT IMPROVEMENT LEVY RENEWAL ON THE NOVEMBER BALLOT
At the beginning of 2023, the Board voted to place the renewal of the Permanent Improvement Levy on the May ballot. After we learned that we would be the only issue on the ballot and thus fully responsible for covering election costs, the Board decided to remove the issue and focus instead on the November General Election. At last Monday’s Board meeting, the Board voted to place this RENEWAL on the November ballot.
The Permanent Improvement Levy currently has an effective millage rate of 1.915 mills and costs a homeowner just under $70 per year for every $100,000 of home valuation.
Permanent Improvement levies provide resources to purchase and maintain products and services that have a lifespan of 5 or more years. These dollars cannot be used for salaries.
In the past five years, we have used funds to do the following:
1. Expand our 1:1 Chromebook program to all elementary students. We are now a 1:1 district for K-12.
2. Improve our Wi-Fi network, begin replacing Smartboards (nearly all were installed 15 years ago or more) with newer touchscreen classroom monitors, and replace network switches.
3. Upgrades to the Middle School and High School offices.
4. Mechanical replacements – walk-in cooler, hot water heaters, refrigerators, and stoves also exhaust fans, pneumatic controls, and thermostat controls for MS and HS.
5. Repairs to classroom univents and building heating/cooling systems.
6. Sanding, repainting the MS and HS gym floors.
7. Currently, replacing the baseball dugouts and batting cage as well as a new backstop and dugouts for softball.
8. Resurfacing sections of the middle and high school roofs every summer.
9. Constructed a new bus parking area. Also maintaining current asphalt parking areas on campus and at Pemberville.
10. Replacement of mowers and other work vehicles.
11. Numerous other break-fix projects in the MS and HS.
12. Preventative maintenance contracts for all mechanical systems.
We are always happy to answer any of your questions. Feel free to contact our offices at 419-833-6411 for more information.
CLOSE OF FISCAL YEAR 2023
We closed Fiscal Year 2023 on June 30th. There are several things to discuss including thoughts on where we see this year progressing.
|
Eastwood Schools Financials |
Friday, July 28, 2023 |
|||
|
REVENUE |
Projections |
FY 2023 |
$$ change |
% change |
|
General Property Tax |
$7,700,736.60 |
$7,680,931.72 |
-$19,804.88 |
-0.26% |
|
Tangible Personal Property Tax |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
$0.00 |
0.00% |
|
Income Tax |
$2,784,383.50 |
$2,796,513.82 |
$12,130.32 |
0.44% |
|
Unrestricted Grants-In-Aid |
$6,482,467.44 |
$6,502,317.60 |
$19,850.16 |
0.31% |
|
Restricted Grants-In-Aid |
$312,185.31 |
$336,160.30 |
$23,974.99 |
7.68% |
|
Property Tax Allocation |
$623,369.03 |
$622,967.10 |
-$401.93 |
-0.06% |
|
All Other |
$1,494,901.49 |
$1,894,445.32 |
$399,543.83 |
26.73% |
|
Advances / Other |
$126,643.28 |
$129,670.10 |
$3,026.82 |
2.39% |
|
TOTAL REVENUE |
$19,524,686.65 |
$19,963,005.96 |
$438,319.31 |
2.24% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
EXPENSES |
Projections |
FY 2023 |
$$ change |
% change |
|
Personnel Services |
$10,524,446.21 |
$10,511,328.71 |
-$13,117.50 |
-0.12% |
|
Retirement / Insurance |
$5,245,000.94 |
$4,813,918.99 |
-$431,081.95 |
-8.22% |
|
Purchased Services |
$1,115,178.29 |
$1,230,565.96 |
$115,387.67 |
10.35% |
|
Supplies / Materials |
$961,375.00 |
$876,430.30 |
-$84,944.70 |
-8.84% |
|
Capital Outlay |
$387,378.00 |
$360,971.12 |
-$26,406.88 |
-6.82% |
|
Other Objects |
$1,676,313.00 |
$1,649,230.20 |
-$27,082.80 |
-1.62% |
|
Advances / Transfers |
$1,461,628.75 |
$1,338,013.71 |
-$123,615.04 |
-8.46% |
|
TOTAL EXPENSES |
$21,371,320.19 |
$20,780,458.99 |
-$590,861.20 |
-2.76% |
|
|
||||
|
REVENUES vs. EXPENSES |
-$1,846,633.54 |
-$817,453.03 |
$1,029,180.51 |
-55.73% |
REVENUE
Overall, revenue came in $438,319 better than our forecast. This was in large part due to reimbursements from the Ohio Department of Education for excess costs for students with disabilities. Let me explain how that works. Some of our students with more profound disabilities have costs associated with them that greatly exceed the amount we receive for them in our state funding. We are able to file for additional funds through the “Excess Cost” program. Some of these costs can be in excess of $100,000. While we do not receive full reimbursements, we do get a portion back. These funds can be very hard to predict up front.
We also receive funding for tuition students. For these purposes, tuition students refer to students who are enrolled at Eastwood but their funding is the responsibility of another district. For example, a student is court placed to a family who lives in the district, perhaps a foster family or relative. However, the court documents identify another district as being financially responsible. We can file for any extra costs after the school year and receive additional funding at a later date. This door swings both ways as we have students who are educated in other districts, but Eastwood is responsible for paying for their education.
That’s a lot of information to say, we saw increases in reimbursements compared to what we projected. We also saw higher yields in investment income than we projected.
EXPENSES
While our expenses were lower than what was budgeted, that really does not tell the story. The big number in red is what we deficit spent last year, $817,453.03. A large contributor was our bus purchases. We were able to buy several buses before an expected increase in prices which will over time save the district money.
We also will have to deal with some of the long-term financial challenges that are facing districts.
1. As the revenue from the stimulus money fades away, we are still left with some long-term expenses that we covered through those dollars.
2. Labor costs are going up as they are everywhere. We have to remain competitive for both certified and classified staff.
3. Costs for supplies and materials have leveled off, but they are still higher than they were prior to the supply disruptions during the pandemic. They can be volatile.
4. Our students need more support. We have made investments in several new intervention specialists to work with students who need more academic support as well as those needed behavior supports. There are three new teaching positions associated with these programs with two of those starting this fall. We also have several new aides working in the district who are also serving our students. Truly a challenge to meet the needs of ALL kids.
One thing we have working for us is a far more manageable increase in insurance premiums. Last year, we had a 20% increase and this year was only 4%.
FINAL THOUGHTS
I am not sure what the long-term costs will be to educate and support our students. It feels like we have been forced to adapt to new challenges each and every year since 2019. Student needs are growing. Staffing our buildings and related services is a challenge. We were VERY fortunate to hire some outstanding people for the coming year, but the applicant pools are not nearly as deep. (Stats show that this trend will deepen in the coming years.) What is needed and how to find it will be a headwind in the coming years.
THE EXCITEMENT BUILDS
Opening Day for teachers is three weeks from today! Will be a busy couple of weeks with enrollments, staff development, admin and new teacher meetings amongst other things.
Good luck to all of our kids at the Fair this week and to the parents who will need toothpicks in their eyes soon.
Best wishes!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
7.20.23
Dear Community Members,
I have a couple of notes for you today. Please pay particular attention to the Transportation Note as Mr. Hannan has converted all of the transportation forms to fillable documents for your ease, as well as the Transportation Department.
EASTWOOD TRANSPORTATION NOTE
Hello parents!
We are busy in the Transportation office working on the bus routes for the upcoming school year. We have new transportation forms, which are linked below. Please submit the applicable forms pertaining to your child's/children’s transportation as soon as possible or prior to August 1st. The earlier we have all of the students’ information in, the earlier we can complete routing for the upcoming year and get that information back out to you.
If your child is going to get on and off of the bus from your listed home address:
You do not need to file any forms. Your child will automatically be routed to and from your listed home address.
If your child requires an alternate address to be picked up or dropped off:
You will need to submit a new alternate transportation request form online before August 1st each year. If you used an alternate address last school year, you will need to submit a new request for this upcoming school year. At the end of each school year, ALL alternate addresses and exceptions are removed, and ALL students are automatically routed to and from school using their listed home address.
If your child will be driving to and from school:
Please submit a student driver form, indicating that your child will not require bus service.This form will remain intact each year or until you submit a status change form. It is very helpful if you let us know that your child is a student driver so that we do not route a bus to your residence.
If your child will be transported to school daily by a parent, guardian, family member or friend:
Please submit a parent transport form online. It is very helpful to let us know that your child is going to be transported to and from school by means other than bus service, so that we do not route a bus to your residence, also so that your child is not put on a bus at dismissal.
ALL students attending Penta:
Are required to submit a Penta transportation request form. This form will allow Penta students to select: if they will require bus service, if parents will transport, if they will be driving to Penta or to Eastwood Campus to catch the Penta shuttle. There is additional information available for Penta students by clicking here.
Open enrollment students:
If you are planning on using an existing bus stop, please submit an alternate transportation request form. If you are planning on transporting your child to school each day, please submit a parent transport form. If your child is going to drive to school each day, please submit a student driver form.
Non Public Students:
Non Public Bus Service Information & Links
There are links provided above in each category and also links with additional information provided in the 2023-24 Transportation Links for Eastwood Parents page. You can also find the link on the Eastwood Schools web page in the Transportation tab.
New bus route information will be available on August 10th. You can find the information on Infofinder-i. There is also a link to Infofinder-i on the Transportation Department page of the Eastwood website.
If you have any questions, or need assistance completing any of the online forms, please feel free to contact me. We are looking forward to seeing everyone at the start of the school year!
Thank you and I hope you are all enjoying your summer,
Nick Hannan
Director of Transportation, Eastwood Schools
RYAN KERNS GOLF OUTING
Attached to this email is a flyer for a golf outing to help support a memorial scholarship for Ryan Kerns. Ryan lost his battle with cancer earlier this year and his friends and family want to honor his legacy.
Please see the attached flyer.
Have a great day!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
6.16.23
Dear Community Members:
Hard to believe, but we are halfway through the month of June. This month flies by so fast as it is one of the busiest of the year.
I have several items for you today.
A THANK YOU TO OUR STAFF
During Graduation, several of our student speakers shared thoughts about their experiences, and it was enormously gratifying to hear them praise our staff for their kindness, caring and making a difference beyond the classroom.
As a community we sometimes take for granted what a special group of teachers, support staff, and building administrators we have at Eastwood. I know this because I hear and see them pouring over ways to make a difference in the academic growth of students along with helping them become the best version of themselves. We know from research and anecdotal evidence from businesses that individuals may be hired for their job skills, but the behavior skills are the keys to their long-term success. Our teachers do a great job of integrating the two.
The job is not getting easier, and we are blessed to have them leading and nurturing our kids.
WELCOMING NEW STAFF
We are in the season of hiring and we have several new coaches and teachers who have been approved by the Board.
Drew Lashaway – Former Eastwood State Champion wrestler Drew Lashaway will be taking over the wrestling program. He is a tremendous young man with the passion and energy for the job. He has coached at the HS and collegiate level as well as with the biddy program. I am excited to see how the next generation of wrestlers grows and develops.
Ashley Post – Ashley will be teaching math next year at the HS mainly. She taught in southwest Ohio last year and is a graduate of BGSU and Coldwater HS. Her parents are both educators.
Stacey Strohshine – Stacey will be our new HS guidance counselor. She has experience teaching math at the HS and college level and comes to us from Springfield HS where she was a guidance counselor. She has extensive experience with college credit plus which will be an asset to our students.
Zach Morris – Zach has been hired as an Intervention Specialist at the HS. He has been an Intervention Specialist at Clay HS and will also be helping our Boy’s Soccer program. Another enthusiastic hire and looking forward to his work with our students.
PI LEVY
Some of you may remember that we had planned to renew the Permanent Improvement Levy in May. After learning that we would have to foot nearly all of the election costs, the Board decided to withdraw the issue from the ballot with an eye towards renewing it in November. The Board will be looking to take the first step towards renewal at the June BOE meeting slated for Tuesday June 20th at 8:00 AM.
Dollars raised from Permanent Improvement levies are typically used for purchases that will have a lifespan of five or more years. They can also be used for maintenance supplies and materials.
We have used PI dollars recently for the expansion of the bus parking area, improvements to our HS and MS offices, new LED lights for the stadium, Chromebooks for students, boiler repair and maintenance, roofing repairs and resurfacing, hot water heaters and asbestos abatement that went with it, pneumatic controls, stoves in the MS and HS kitchens, tech infrastructure, irrigation, and this summer we will be replacing baseball and softball dugouts, fencing, and adding storage at the diamonds.
QUICK CONGRATS TO THE RAMSEY SISTERS - NEW EAGLE SCOUTS
Congrats to Maggie and Z Ramsey for earning the rank of Eagle Scout! They are the first female Eagle Scouts in the Wood County District. They are also heavily involved in school activities and excellent students. Really proud of them!
Have a great summer everyone!!
Brent Welker, Superintendent
Eastwood Local Schools
120 E. College St.
PO Box 837
Pemberville, Ohio 43450
419-833-6411
"Leaders create Culture, Culture drives Behavior, Behavior produces Results." - Tim Kight
Brent Welker, Superintendent