District Families -
On March 24 the Bellbrook-Sugarcreek Board of Education held a special meeting to discuss district finances. The board discussed staffing and programing ramifications based on the outcomes of the May ballot issue. The school district has a 7-year limited term Emergency Operating Levy on the May 4, 2021 ballot that will yield $3,220,000 (4.9 mills). The passage of this emergency levy will help fund the district’s day-to-day operations, such as staffing, utilities, transportation, and supplies.
If the May levy passes, the district will reinstate the K-5 STEM program, thirty-one (31) supplemental positions for clubs/activities/athletics, and two (2) librarian positions within the district. In the past, the district has made investments in these areas; however, due to previous reductions, resources are being underutilized and opportunities are being missed by our students. Due to previous reductions, our libraries are not open every day and student checkout rates have been adversely impacted. The K-12 checkout rate of books is down by 64% this school year with the high school rate down 91%. Bell Creek Intermediate parent Robert Morris states about STEM “as a parent in the district, I have seen first hand the benefits of STEM. It is exciting to watch as my children take the concepts taught through the curriculum and use them to understand and explain how things work in the world around them, as opposed to simply being an observer.”
If the May levy does not pass, the district will reduce up to three (3) K-12 staffing positions and will continue to look for other cost-saving measures.