FRLS forecast grows stronger

FORT RECOVERY — A financial outlook that was already strong has gotten even better.

Fort Recovery School Board on Tuesday heard its semiannual financial forecast, which projects five years of surpluses and a general fund balance that will climb to more than $8 million by 2023.

The board also set parameters for moving forward on a proposed project for new baseball and softball fields.

Following an April forecast that projected the budget surpluses through 2021 followed by deficits — it is typical for such forecasts to project deficit spending in the latter years — the October forecast now projects surpluses that continue through 2023.

Deanna Knapke, education management information system/administrative office clerk, presented the forecast along with treasurer Lori Koch, showing surpluses of $415,444 for the current fiscal year, $588,952 for 2020, $322,203 for 2021, $218,658 for 2022 and $178,713 for 2023. If those numbers were to hold, Fort Recovery would have a balance of $8.09 million at the close of fiscal 2023.

Fort Recovery Local Schools finished fiscal year 2018, which concluded June 30, with a balance of $6.36 million. The district has made consistent financial progress in recent years as its balance has climbed from $2.7 million in 2013 to its current total.

Earlier this year, superintendent Justin Firks pointed to several factors, including “current agricultural use value” tax rates that have been more stable than expected, increases in income and property tax collections and consistent funding from the state.

Property taxes, which generally represent about 20 percent of the district’s funding, and income tax, which comes in around 15 percent, are projected to continue to increase over the next five years.

Board members Mitch Ervin, Mike Grube, Jose Faller, Greg LeFevre and Nick Wehrkamp also voted to allow Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters to begin construction of a new baseball/softball complex when the group has 45 percent of the cash necessary in place in addition to a loan for the remaining 55 percent. It will also need to have a site plan for relocation of the practice football field and final drawings for the new facilities.

The possibility of new fields has been on the table since April 2017, when Fort Recovery Baseball Diamond Club presented a proposal for the project.

The group suggested a new baseball field south of the existing softball field. At that time, plans called for a press box, restrooms a concession building, bleachers with canopies and a softball batting cage on the property east of Fort Recovery Elementary/Middle School.

A preliminary cost estimate from VSWC Architects came in around $1 million. Fundraising is already underway.

Also Tuesday, the board looked at preliminary estimates for resurfacing its track. Those estimates ranged from $138,000 to $168,000 for removal of the current surface and the addition of a new polyurethane surface. Such a surface would be expected to last about 20 years.

The board was also given an estimate a cost of $115,000 for a latex surface, which is what is currently in place. It would be expected to last about seven years.

Board members agreed that they need to move forward with the project and plan to vote as soon as formal bidding is complete.

In other business, the board:

•Recognized the football, cross country and golf teams for their accomplishments during the fall season.

•Discussed a letter to the editor that appeared in The Daily Standard (Celina) regarding athletes from school teams running along local roads. The board agreed that either moving such practices to local parks or providing athletes with reflective clothing would be a positive safety measure. They asked Firks to seek input from cross country and track coaches as well as athletics director Kurt Rammel.

•Approved the following: Maleia Jutte, Max Klingshirn and Liz Barga as classified substitutes; transferring $100,000 to termination benefits from the general fund to cover three staff retirements that are expected at the end of the school year; purchasing natural gas service through Southwestern Ohio Educational Purchasing Council; a leave of absence for Kim Grube from Aug. 1, 2018, through May 30, 2019; Kevin Will for overtime for driving a regular bus route in addition to his full-time position; and Scott Pearson as a volunteer assistant softball coach.

•Accepted donations of more than $700, including $750 to the cheerleading program from Fort Recovery Jubilee Committee.