LEXINGTON BOARD OF EDUCATION
Work Session
Tuesday, April 10, 2018
7:00 p.m.
The Lexington Board of Education met in regular session in the Robert H. Whitney Board of Education Meeting Room at 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday, April 10, 2018.
Mr. Robert Whitney, President, called the meeting to order. Roll was called by the Treasurer.
Roll Call – Members present: Dr. Martin Gottschling, Mr. Dave Roberts, Mr. Rob Schuster, Mr. Keith Stoner, Mr. Robert Whitney -------5
VISITORS / COMMUNICATIONS / RECOGNITIONS
Mr. Whitney welcomed visitors to the meeting.
DISCUSSION ITEMS:
1. Facilities Timing After Meeting with OFCC - Mr. Ziegelhofer shared information from a meeting with OFCC earlier in the day. This meeting included Mr. Ziegelhofer, Mr. Secrist, Mr. Stoner, and Mr. Whitesel from the District, as well as representatives from OFCC, TDA Architects, Rockmill Financial, Allerton Hill, and Bricker and Eckler.
The Board was provided with various notes and information from this meeting with OFCC to assist in determining the timing of a future facilities bond issue. The information from the OFCC meeting shared with the Board included the following highlights:
* Waiting to pass our local share until May 2019 or November 2019 would further delay OFCC funding available to our District;
* Passing our local share guarantees money from OFCC but money is delayed. This applies whether passed in November 2018 or November 2019. However, passing in November 2019 delays OFCC money until 2020 or 2021;
* Passing our local share puts the District in line for funding and this funding would be available between July 2019 and January 2020, given the OFCC's current 6-12 month window;
* "Lapse" districts can contineu to attempt to pass their issues and get back in line for funding ahead of Districts like Lexington, which are known as priority districts, unless we pass our local share prior to the "lapse" district;
* Equity rank is updated each September and impacts our local share, which currently stands at 52%. Passing in November 2018 would result in only one more equity rank update (September 2018) if OFCC money is available in July 2019. Waiting until November 2019 would guarantee two more updates and possibly three;
* For any May levies in odd years, the District would be responsible for election costs;
* For property tax bond issues, the money is not collected from taxpayers until the District has a project with OFCC and the debt is issued. The amount collected from the property tax is only collected on the amount needed to pay the debt, which can be less than the amount authorized by voters;
* Deadline for property tax issue is August 8th at 4:00 p.m. for November 2018 ballot. For a combo levy (i.e., property/income), this deadline is July 24th and requires a 2/3 vote of the Board;
* The OFCC will provide the District with an update after the upcoming May elections as this will be a factor in determining further timing estimates for available funding. However, the OFCC indicated funding will be available no sooner than July 2019.
* The overall recommendation from OFCC, as well as other representatives in attendance at the meeting, was to proceed with the November 2018 ballot issue if the District wished to avoid further delays, as passing the District's local share puts us in line for OFCC funding.
After consideration of the information from OFCC, the Board determined it best for the District to proceed with the November 2018 ballot. Mr. Ziegelhofer will inform OFCC as OFCC requested this information in order to proceed with preparing the necessary paperwork.
A community meeting will be scheduled for April 23rd at 7:00 p.m. at the high school.
ADJOURNMENT
14-18 Motion by Mr. Stoner, seconded by Mr. Schuster to adjourn. 8:04 p.m.
Roll Call - Yea: Mr. Schuster, Mr. Stoner, Dr. Gottschling, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Whitney ----5
Nay: None--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------0
Motion adopted.
Certificate Section 5705.412, Ohio Revised Code
It is hereby certified that the Lexington Local School District Board of Education, Richland County, Ohio, has sufficient funds to meet the contract agreement, obligation, payment or expenditure for the above, and has in effect for the remainder of the fiscal year and succeeding fiscal year the authorization to levy taxes which, when combined with the estimated revenue from all other sources available to the district at the time of certification, are sufficient to provide operating revenues necessary to enable the district to operate an adequate educational program on all days set forth in its adopted school calendar for the current fiscal year and for a number of days in the succeeding fiscal year equal to the number of day’s instruction was or is scheduled for the current fiscal year.
Treasurer_________________________________
President_________________________________
Superintendent ____________________________
