Cardington-Lincoln Local School District has announced a number of budget cutbacks after the Ohio Department of Education deemed the district to be in “fiscal caution.”

The state requires all districts placed under such designation to enact a “cost recovery plan” designed to eliminate budget deficit.

In order to meet Ohio Board of Education budget requirements, Cardington will be eliminating six district aide positions and a custodian position, as well as reducing hours for remaining aides, custodians and classified secretaries.

The district’s newly assigned state status comes from an “excessive amounts of unpaid invoices and bills from the previous fiscal year,” Cardington-Lincoln Superintendent Brian Petrie announced in a letter to school district residents.

“Unfortunately, these unpaid obligations were not presented to the board and the administration at the end of the last fiscal year, prior to (Cardington-Lincoln Treasurer) Mr. Mason’s and (Cardington-Lincoln Assistant Treasurer) Mrs. Hardwick’s arrival,” continued Petrie.

The school district anticipates $400,000 of deficit spending during the 2016 fiscal calendar year.

“The aim of the cost recovery plan is to balance the budget for the remainder of the year with little to no impact on the instructional programs of our students,” Petrie said. “The success of the cost recovery between now and June 30 will dictate the plan for next school year and beyond.”

There are no teaching positions or school curriculum reductions in the proposed plan.

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The school district anticipates $400,000 of deficit spending during the 2016 fiscal calendar year.

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The school district anticipates $400,000 of deficit spending during the 2016 fiscal calendar year.

By Zach Jones

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Reach Jones at [email protected]