NORTHFIELD, Ohio — The Nordonia Hills City School District is facing a $4.4 million deficit next school year, prompting leaders to approve cuts that will eliminate teaching positions, paraprofessionals, and other staff roles, resulting in a savings of about $1.7 million.
Last week, families received a letter detailing the cuts, which include the elimination of four middle school teaching positions, 5.5 high school teaching positions over the next two years, 11 paraprofessional positions, and 13 dedicated building substitutes. The Board of Education is still considering other potential reductions in transportation services.
Parents Voice Concerns
Parents of students with unique needs are concerned about what these changes will mean for their children going forward. Sarah Kovit Hanna is among them. Her son, Jacob, a first-grader, received an autism diagnosis when he was four and a half years old. She noted that Jacob has a passion for electrical and mechanical engineering and would like to be a World Cup soccer goalie one day.
"His autism manifests as social, emotional and behavioral. It's not in the intellectual disability category, so he's actually what's called twice exceptional or gifted,” Kovit Hanna said. “One of the reasons that I love Nordonia Schools for my son is that he's been able to do the gifted placements within his school group with his peers, while still being able to get the social, emotional and behavioral needs met through his IEP (Individualized Education Program) with the intervention specialist and the use of a paraprofessional during the school day.”
Kovit Hanna emphasized the critical role of direct support her son receives from his paraprofessional in ensuring his success.
“For him, it's social skills. How do I have a difficult conversation with a peer? What do I do if a friend doesn't want to play with me? What do I do if I'm frustrated?” Kovit Hanna said. “And how do I re-regulate myself during the school day so that I can focus on the academic work?”
Like any parent, she is concerned that her son, along with other students, may lose ground and is anxious about how assistance will look next year with 11 fewer paraprofessionals. This year, the district has 109 paraprofessionals who interact daily with many of the 534 students with IEPs.
“I see how much work goes into being there with my son. Paraprofessionals are tasked with such nuanced understanding of each child and their care and their specific needs,” Kovit Hanna said. “And I question how we can expect people to have the level of understanding and nuance for each child when the ratio of children under their care increases.”
Superintendent provides insight
I asked Casey Wright about the challenges of making budget cuts.
"It's devastating to us. It's devastating to our community (and) devastating to our kids,” Wright said. “We as educators are not prepared to reduce opportunities for kids, and this is what that does.”
He noted that the cuts will add responsibilities to teachers and the remaining paraprofessionals.
“Is it difficult? It absolutely is difficult, and it's on the back of our teachers and our paraprofessionals,” Wright said.
He is confident that educators will rise to the challenge, stating that the district has a rich history of supporting students with disabilities.
“And we are going to continue that, but it does require our staff to work harder,” Wright said. “We will do more with less. We've always done more with less. This will just be another one of those times.”
Trust in educators
Dawn Sedor shares concerns about the cuts but has faith in the district and its educators.
“You can't underfund character, so I know that the quality of care will still be there,” Sedor said.
Her family has depended on paraprofessionals in the past and continues to do so.
“When your child has a unique need, they work with them to make them successful,” Sedor said. “But that relationship helps them envision themselves as successful, and I think that makes such a difference in how our kids see themselves."
She and Kovit Hanna affirmed that parents of children with unique needs will continue to fight for support in the classroom alongside the work and resources they pursue independently.
“A rising tide lifts all boats, and that's all of us, and it starts with the kids because they rely on us today, but we will rely on them tomorrow,” Sedor said.
School funding frustrations
Wright explained that districts across the state are increasingly facing tough economic realities due to the way Ohio funds education.
"We know our costs are more expensive, not only labor, not only the cost of doing business, but inflation affects us too,” Wright said.
He pointed out that the state’s funding formula places too much pressure on schools and taxpayers to pass local bonds and levies every few years.
“It's really frustrating. I am a professional educator. I spent years studying how to make kids great, and we're really, really good at that,” Wright said. “What I haven't been taught is, how do I ask people for money?”
In May, voters in the district will be asked to support a 5-mill operating levy that is estimated to collect $7,386,000 annually. This would amount to $175 for every $100,000 of the county fiscal officer's appraised value in taxable property.
“We failed two levies so far,” Wright said. “We're getting to the point where it's going to be really, really tough to land this plane."
If the levy is approved, Wright indicated that not all cuts would be restored, but bringing back paraprofessionals would be a top priority.
I asked Wright about the criticism and concerns surrounding tax increases amid the various economic challenges many families are facing.
“Why can't you live within your means? That conversation just seems to be so front and center. What do you say to people who say, ‘I can't afford to pay more in property taxes?’” I asked Wright.
“We will continue to cut and cut and cut and do more with less as much as we possibly can, until we get to the point to ask,” he responded. “But we're at that point. I'd say to them now: we're at the point where there's no other way to make this happen.”
