PHOTO BY JESSE DAVIS / THE VILLAGE REPORTER
FUTURE OF FOOTBALL … Swanton High School Assistant Principal Matt Horen, now the school’s new head football coach, tells the Swanton Local School District Board of Education his plan for the team during the board’s most recent meeting.
By: Jesse Davis
THE VILLAGE REPORTER
jesse@thevillagereporter.com
The Swanton Local School District, along with other school districts across the state, is facing changes in state rules threatening to reduce their funding by hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Treasurer Sheila Horseman laid out the potential effects while delivering an updated five-year forecast to the SLSD Board of Education during its meeting Wednesday night.
According to Horseman’s projections, the district’s ending balance will drop from just over $3.5 million in fiscal year 2026 to just over $1.15 million in 2030, reducing the number of days operating cash on hand from 77 to 23. In comparison, the district had 103 days cash on hand in 2022.
Part of the issue, Horseman stated, stems from Ohio House Bill 186. The bill was sponsored by Rep. Jim Hoops (R-Napoleon) as part of a group of bills aimed at providing taxpayers more than $3 billion in property tax relief.
She also said changes made in the law would make it so the school would end up below the previous lower limit of 20 mills to 19.88, and predicted that lawsuits will be filed by school districts as a result.
Due to that change, Superintendent Chris Lake said he was advised to hold off on the property tax levy renewal planned for November, as it would only collect just over $100,000 for the district as opposed to the originally projected estimate of $825,000.
The decrease in income comes amid increasing expenditures and declining enrollment.
Horseman projects enrollment will drop from 1,056 this year to 985 in 2030 after already dropping from 1,141 in 2021.
The resulting annual per-student share of overall general fund expenditures has climbed from $12,327 in 2022 to $15,990 this year and is projected to rise to $18,703 in 2030.
FOOTBALL UPDATE
Swanton High School Assistant Principal Matt Horen, now the school’s new head football coach, broke down his plan for the team’s future.
Horen gave a view of the program and its themes, and said the program’s mission is “people first, players second, team always,” its vision is “through the game we connect, inspire and uplift others,” and its purpose is “create lifelong moments.”
He gave examples of the different efforts that would be undertaken, including individual player meetings, off-season lifting and speed/mobility days, academic progress tracking, a leadership academy, and, finally, “Bulldog football 101.”
Other efforts include those to connect athletes with the community and honoring the team’s tradition, bringing alumni into the latter.
According to Horen, there are currently 46 students who have expressed their intent to play, up from 29 in December. His goal is to enlist a total of 73 athletes.
OTHER BUSINESS
The board approved a boys’ basketball trip to Muncie, Indiana, from June 12-14 for the Super Hoops Basketball Team Camp.
The board approved a track team trip to the Spire Institute in Geneva, Ohio, from March 6-7 for the OATCCC Indoor High School State Championship Meet.
The board approved the district’s annual OHSAA membership at a cost of $50 per sport. The board approved a revised foundation deduction agreement at an amount of $1,680.62.
The board approved the annual appropriation for the Swanton Public Library as well as a revision to the library’s board of trustees appointment.
The board approved a variety of personnel changes along with a variety of appropriations changes.
The board accepted donations including $50,000 from Richard McQuade for the family and consumer science project, $267.30 for the elementary school, $350 for Adulthood Day, $21.50 for athletics, $20,000 for the baseball/softball complex, $660 for track, and $158 for boys’ basketball.
The board planned a recognition of the retirement of former board member Kristina Oberheim, but she was unable to attend.
The board ended regular business by going into executive session to discuss “the appointment, employment, dismissal, discipline, promotion, demotion, or compensation of a public employee or official.” No action was expected as a result of the session.
The next regular meeting of the Swanton Local School District Board of Education is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 11, at 108 N. Main Street.