ESSER Funding was distributed over four calendar years, and was required to be spent by September 30, 2024.  Money not spent would be forfeited.

This funding was required to be spent first, and then reimbursed. All funding was audited.

Findlay City Schools intentionally directed these funds towards elements that would close learning gaps and support our students, including, but not limited to:

• summer learning programs
• Science of Reading professional development
• phonics support
• behavior support
• instructional support
• technology accessibility and support
• software programs and platforms to supplement virtual instruction and learning.

For a more detailed explanation of ways the funding was used, please see this report.

The $65 million figure is slightly below the operating budgets of similar-sized districts in Ohio because Findlay City Schools has not received an increase from voters for new operating dollars in over 20 years.

If you would like to run direct comparisons of similar-sized districts, you can view similar district data here. 

Our three most comparable districts in Ohio, for operating revenue:

Plain Local - $70,863,334
Miamisburg City - $65,968,379
Willoughby-Eastlake - $118,218,683

States tend to have a variety of formulas and approaches to public school funding, and each state is different in the amount of funding per student they provide, with a range of about $8,000 per student to $24,000 per student. 

Ohio is heavily reliant on local property taxes to fund public schools. Findlay City Schools collects on just over 23 effective mills of property tax and is asking for a 1% earned income tax to stabilize the operating budget. Only residents of the school district would pay this tax.

The Board of Education is in a constant process of re-evaluating all aspects of our budget expenditures. While these specific suggestions are not yet being considered, all options need to be on the table to stabilize the budget long term in Findlay City Schools.

In addition to visiting numerous nursing homes and civic groups, we continue to share the facts in multiple formats and venues with our community.

We encourage people to look at our website, monitor our social media, attend Town Halls, and schedule time with our Superintendent, Dr. Hatton, or our Treasurer, Mrs. Harrington.  Email pr@fcs.org to schedule time, and feel free to share this information from Town Hall.

Some District fees fall under the Board of Education’s fiscal accounts. In FY 2022 these expenses, which totalled just over $300,000 can be found under the following line item descriptions:

Similar to many regions in the country, Ohio is experiencing a teacher shortage, although even that varies by region within our state. Our goal is to hire and retain the very best teachers and staff to serve our students. The passage of our levy to stabilize our operating budget could certainly help us be reasonably competitive in this goal.

Our children often come home with workbooks that are only 1/4 to 1/3 complete, saying they're done with the unit and were told they could bring the books home. Maybe the workbooks come from a source that makes them more cost effective than printing the necessary lessons, I'm not sure. Have the costs of workbooks versus print copies been evaluated?

Many of our vendors bundle a digital component along with a student workbook. Most vendors no longer offer textbooks and teacher’s editions where we are photocopying worksheets pages. We continually negotiate to ensure the best pricing for our district. Each year around this time, we evaluate all resource purchases to balance the financial cost and instructional benefits for our students. 

Piggybacking off the previous question, are the workbooks something that could be completed using Chromebooks? Have there been efforts to reduce paper materials by using Chromebooks more often? Are Chromebooks necessary?

From an instructional perspective, technology-based and paper-based learning opportunities are important for students. We use a balance of both to increase levels of engagement and mastery for our students. We want our students to learn with technology to equip them for living in a digital environment while also being mindful of the level of technology usage occurring in our buildings.

While teaching and learning is our core business, student safety will always remain a top priority. When we receive information that student safety and security is at risk, we will continue to engage in proper investigations and take the necessary steps to ensure safety in Findlay City Schools.

We will continue to ensure the operating dollars are spent exclusively on only those items allowable in state law. As we do now, we will continue to drive the operating dollars into the classroom to enhance student achievement. We will continue to be as transparent as possible with the public on how their tax dollars are being utilized.

We do believe that it is the job of our amazing teachers to teach, assess and grow each student, every day. While we want parents and guardians as crucial partners in the educational process, we know it is our responsibility to educate, which includes making sure students have clarity and understanding around each assignment.

While Findlay, Ohio's population experienced a slight increase between 2021 and 2022, it decreased slightly in 2023, according to Data USA. Online classes and alternative learning options have grown since COVID opened up those avenues.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
--2021-2022: The population grew from 40,323 to 40,408, a 0.211% increase.
--2022-2023: The population declined from 40,408 to 40,280, a -0.317% decrease.
--For 2025 - 40,038