Dear Edgewood City Schools Community,

Over the past several weeks, many of you have seen headlines about difficult decisions being made in neighboring districts. Hamilton City Schools has announced over $9 million in cuts and the closure of several buildings. Fairfield City Schools has placed an income tax levy on the May ballot and has communicated that significant cuts will occur if it does not pass.

These challenges are not isolated. Across Butler County and throughout Ohio, school districts are facing reduced state funding as a result of recently approved property tax reform legislation.

The Impact on Edgewood

For Edgewood City Schools, the impact of recent changes to the state funding formula through property tax reform legislation, combined with local tax rollbacks, will negatively impact Edgewood City Schools dramatically beginning next year.

At the same time, we are facing declining enrollment. Since 2020, our district has decreased by 500 students, and projections show another 500-student decline by 2030.

Why is enrollment declining? In addition to nationwide trends of smaller family sizes, families today have more educational choices than ever before. Students may be homeschooled, attend other public school districts through open enrollment, enroll in community (charter) schools, use EdChoice vouchers to attend private schools, or participate in expanding programs at Butler Tech.   Fewer students result in less state funding.

What This Means for Edgewood

Conventional thinking would suggest that we must continue cutting our budget to offset these reductions.

In the past three years, ECSD has averaged over a million dollars in budget reductions each year. The reality is that there is little left to trim. We are operating as lean as possible. The next round of reductions would not be small, strategic adjustments—they would mean cutting programs, moving to state minimum standards (in the classroom and with transportation), eliminating extracurricular activities, cutting staff, and closing buildings.

There are no more surgical cuts—only amputations.

A Different Approach: Invest, Not Retreat

So what is the plan?

In a bold move by the Board of Education,  rather than focus on additional cuts, we will shift our focus on three primary areas:

• Education

• Enrollment

• Engagement

Simply put, we cannot cut our way out of this problem.  Instead, we hope to give the community the best version of Edgewood that we can for as long as we can. 

Our plan

Bold Moves in Education

We will introduce a Jump Start Summer Program for students in grades K–8 who are on the bubble of being on track. This program will provide targeted instruction and enrichment in the weeks leading up to the school year, helping more students begin strong and stay strong.

We will strengthen our Virtual Academy. After reducing administrative and staffing support last year, we must reinvest. We cannot afford to lose students to outside options when we have the capacity to provide a high-quality virtual pathway right here. Additionally, we will increase support for students who are at risk of not meeting graduation requirements to ensure they cross the stage as Edgewood graduates.

We will expand our preschool program. Approximately 70% of our students are not kindergarten-ready. By expanding our preschool program, we will serve approximately 40 additional students to better prepare children for success while building early connections with future Edgewood families.

We will return EECC and EPS to neighborhood preschool–grade 2 buildings. Data has not demonstrated that grade banding has improved achievement, and we have heard clearly from our community that neighborhood schools matter. Returning to neighborhood buildings will reduce unnecessary transitions for our youngest learners, strengthen long-term relationships between families and schools, and may improve transportation efficiency by allowing more students to walk and shorten bus ride times.

Bold Moves in Engagement

We have added a supplemental position dedicated to telling the Edgewood story. Incredible things happen in our classrooms every single day, and our community deserves to see and celebrate them. Stronger communication builds pride, trust, and connection.

We will examine our participation fees to determine whether our current structure creates barriers for students and families. If reducing participation fees increases participation, we may be able to maintain revenue while expanding student involvement in athletics and extra-curricular activities.

Bold Moves in Operations

In recent years, we chose not to replace our curriculum director, business manager, and director of federal programs in order to save money. Existing staff absorbed those responsibilities. While well-intentioned, this approach has stretched our team too thin and may be costing us in inefficiencies.

I will recommend a revised organizational structure featuring two directors overseeing district operations:

• One director (Alesia Beckett) overseeing teaching and learning, including curriculum, instruction, professional development, and human resources for professional staff.

• One director (new position) overseeing business operations and facilities, including transportation, custodial, maintenance, food service, district facilities, and human resources for classified staff.

This structure will improve operational efficiency while also developing future leaders prepared to step into greater roles when needed.

In Summary

We cannot cut our way out of this problem.

If we want families to choose Edgewood, we must offer the strongest possible version of Edgewood. We must create excitement and positive energy. We must demonstrate that we are committed not just to maintaining what we have—but to building something better.

We have to give our community the type of school system that is worth saving!

Sincerely,

Charles C. Philpot

Charles C. Philpot