TOLEDO, Ohio — Ottawa Hills Local Schools on Monday held a meeting with the community to discuss the district's financial plans after an error left a 12.9-mill operating levy off the November ballot.
The school board started the meeting with an apology for the mistake: a typo in what the levy would cost the owner of a $100,000 home.
The district said it has cut three administrative positions and will cut more jobs, too. The district is also freezing the instructional budget for the rest of the year.
All the changes will amount to more than $1 million dollars in savings, according to the district. But one student WTOL 11 spoke with said there's a difference from last year.
Via Bridges has been in the district since kindergarten and is starting to notice differences in the classroom.
"It's really starting to impact our school, and our learning," Bridges said of the levy rejection's fallout.
She said she had a school accommodation where she could listen to her textbooks when studying.
"This year, I went into AP Government thinking I was going to get something similar, and I was told because of budget cuts, that wasn't an option for me," she said.
Bridges said she now has to use less reliable resources while studying.
But Superintendent Adam Fineske said the district is trying to stay away from cuts that would affect the in-class experience.
"Looking around to see how we can tighten up," he said. "Still have services, but maybe not have as much as we had before until we get this levy passed."
Fineske and the school board further explained how they plan to save money.
"We need to make some cost savings and make some efficiencies," he said.
And district leaders will continue to determine which positions are necessary.
"If a position opens, let's change schedules, move things around, and not replace that person," Fineske said.
Bridges hopes her school experience returns to normal soon.
"Whether it's through this levy or something else further down the road, I do hope those accommodations come into play at our school because they are very important," she said.
Fineske is aiming to get the tax levy on the ballot in March. If that doesn't happen, WTOL 11 is told the district will make more cuts.