Miamisburg City Schools is holding a meeting Thursday to discuss their budget for next year. Earlier this week, voters approved a renewal levy, but did not pass an additional emergency levy that the district says it badly needs. As it stands now, it faces a 4.5 million dollar shortfall. Marsha Watts is the Assistant Superintendent.
"Revenues are down in our district, the value of houses and property taxes are down. Our revenues from the state are down, and the state has its own financial crisis going on," says Watts.
Watts says the school district will try to put another levy on the May ballot. Their meeting tonight will decide how much money to ask for from voters. Watts says she hopes it will be the same amount- just over 6.5 million dollars. Otherwise, she says, the district is facing major budget cuts and the possibility that one hundred staff members will lose their jobs.
"You look at every section from transportation to student programming, you try to have the least impact on students. We're in the business of educating kids, so you try to have the least impact on students, but honestly at that dollar amount, that will impact classroom teachers," says Watts.
Watts says she's optimistic voters will approve the funding should it end up on the May ballot. The meeting is open to the public and takes place tonight at 7 at the Neff Elementary building in Miamisburg.