Claymont Board defends financial decisions
UHRICHSVILLE – The Claymont School Board Monday did not reverse a financial decision that will raise property taxes despite continued pleas from the mayors of Uhrichsville and Dennison.
School Board members Monday defended the move that they made in April, noting that it will raise property taxes by $138 per year per $100,000 of home value.
School Board President Cyndy Host pointed to uncertainty at the state level and said the legislature has failed to follow Fair School Funding mandates.
“We take our role as Board members very seriously,” she said. “We do not like that we are not getting all the funding that we need from the state. We don’t like having to do this, but in the interest of financial stability for the district it was a decision that we made and we moved forward with back in April.
“We also recognize that everyone will not agree with every decision. However, our focus remains steadfast on doing what we believe is best to support the students and long-term success of the district.”
More than 30 people attended the meeting, most applauding after several speakers criticized the School Board, including Dennison Mayor Greg DiDonato.
“I’ve never voted against a school levy. I love this community, but I think this is crap,” he said, “when somebody tacks on a tax on you and does it basically silently and doesn’t have an explanation for it.”
Uhrichsville Mayor Jim Zucal questioned the district’s transparency and said some people can’t afford a tax increase.
“My plea to you tonight is, please, please reconsider,” he said. “This is an impact that will last a lifetime. Do what is best for the communities, and people are struggling out there and they need a break.”
Claymont’s shift of 4.2 inside mills will fund facility upgrades. An early proposal calls for closing the intermediate and middle school buildings and adding onto the high school campus to make it grades five through 12.
STATEMENT FROM CLAYMONT SCHOOL BOARD
On April 14, 2025, the Board voted to convert 4.2 mills allocated as inside millage of the current operating expenses to permanent improvement. The Board discussed moving the inside millage at the March 10, 2025, meeting, and then advertised, through public notice, a public hearing according to Ohio Revised Code. We had a special board meeting in April and then voted to make this move at our regular board meeting.
Over the past four years, the district has utilized $7 million in ESSER funds to support both operating and capital expenditures. Those one-time federal funds are now fully expended and will not be replaced. At the same time, the State of Ohio has yet to fully fund our district under the Fair School Funding Plan (FSFP). This combination of funding uncertainty and rising operational costs underscores the importance of proactive, responsible financial management.
The Board reviewed the capital improvement plan for the district before we took the initiative to move the 4.2 inside – millage. With the lack of State revenue stream of monies to maintain our facilities, we proceeded to invest in our students by approving the movement of the 4.2 inside mills.
We did not make this decision lightly. We understand the impact it has on our community and appreciate that not everyone will agree with it. However, in the interest of fiscal responsibility and ensuring the long. term stability of our schools, this adjustment was necessary.
For the average homeowner, this will result in an increase of approximately $138 per year ($0.38/day) for every $100,000 of a home’s assessed value. For those that have Homestead exemption it will be closer to $95 per year ($0.27/day).
This action is permitted under Ohio Revised Code, and is a long-standing practice used by school districts across the state for decades. We did follow all legal requirements for notification and procedure, and made this decision thoughtfully, transparently, and with the district’s best interests in mind.
We as a Board are entrusted with making decisions in what we believe to be in the best interest of our district. We also recognize that not everyone will agree with every decision; however, our focus remains steadfast on doing what we believe is best to support the students and the long-term success of the district.
Each of us sitting up here received several phone calls and many in person discussions as well as a handful of emails after approving the conversion of the 4.2 mills. I encourage you to reach out to any one of us if you have additional questions. We take our roles very seriously and do not like that we are not getting all of our FSFP funding from the State, we don’t like having to do this, but in the interest of financial stability for the district it was a decision we made and that we moved forward with back in April 2025.