Lakewood Schools Fear Deep State Funding Cuts

LAKEWOOD, OH - Governor John Kasich's current budget proposal has drawn fire from school districts throughout Northeast Ohio. Lakewood Schools officials are now openly worried about a massive cut in funding to the district, particularly after recently signing three contract extensions with teachers and support staff.

March was a busy month for the Lakewood School District. The district finished contract extensions with both the teacher's union and two support staff unions, with all three groups agreeing to a 2-year extension.

However, all three of the contracts include a clause that terminates the extensions early. That clause? If the state cuts $200,000 or more funding to the Lakewood School District. Unfortunately, Governor John Kasich's first budget proposal would cut far more than $200,000 from the district.

Superintendent Jeffrey Patterson told the Lakewood Board of Education that the planned pay increases built into the extensions were anticipated in the district's 5-year forecast and do not negatively impact the district financially. He said the district's treasurer, Kent Zeman, had assured him the 2.5 percent base salary increase for the two support staff unions and teacher's association was within the forecasted numbers.

Patch spent time talking with Zeman, discussing possible cuts to the district's funding, the contract extensions, and more.

The negotiations with all three groups was very casual, Zeman said. Short meetings took place between the district and union and association representatives over a series of weeks and months, finally resulting in the approved support staff extensions at the March 20 Board of Education meeting.

"This really is just an extension of current agreements," he told Patch. "No other new language or negotiating items, other than an optional, more aggressive health insurance plan for employees, were discussed."

The new health insurance offering includes a higher deductible plan. Employee contributions for all health care options remains at 15 percent.

What's concerning to Zeman is the current budget proposal from Kasich. Lakewood Schools receive approximately 30 percent of their funding from the state, or $17 million. In the governor's proposal, Lakewood Schools would have its funding cut 5 percent, which would effectively be a cut of about $850,000.

"What's built into our forecast is a 1 percent funding reduction from the state," Zeman said. "If we see a 5 percent reduction, that would have huge implications for the district."

If the state cuts exceed $200,000, all three contract extensions will terminate one year early, on July 31, 2019. If those cuts come to fruition, the three groups and the district will meet on Sept. 1, 2017 to discuss new contracts extension.

Not only would deep cuts trigger new contract extension negotiations, they would also lead to serious evaluations within the district.

"We’d have to see various changes, including potentially in staffing levels," Zeman told Patch. "We already evaluate are spending and cut opportunities every year, but this would just make us look even harder."

The state budget must be approved by July 1, 2017. Lakewood Schools officials, like school officials across the state, will be eagerly watching the changes made to the budget between now and July 1.

Photo from Rick Uldricks, Patch