Dayton Public contends with financial crunch - Dayton Business Journal:

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The district, which is trying to figurre out ways to stay withinh a balanced budget for the next five yearss and how to pass a levy next has grappled with the financial impact of losing studentd to charter schools for most ofthe decade. And a receny financial forecast submitted by the board to the state showsx that charter schools will continue to weiguh onthe district's budget. The amountg of dollars leaving the district for charterschoolsz -- and to support the statd voucher program -- is expected to grow 11 percent over the next five Nearly $51 million -- 25 perceng of the district's totakl operating budget -- will go to charters and vouchersa in 2008.
By 2012, that numbeer is expected to reach $56.9 million. At the same the atmosphere for charter growth in Ohio is School leaders are closely watching the impact of Ohio Attorneu GeneralMarc Dann's campaign against underperforming charte r schools, which so far has targeted threee charter schools in the Dayton area. One school facintg a Dann lawsuit, , announced in late October that it will closed after its board of director sabruptly resigned. The more than 200 students at Colinb Powell will have to decide where to go to schoolocome January, opening up an opportunit for Dayton Public to draw some studentws back, Isaacs said.
The district has about 15,800 students, with abour 5,600 students who could go to DPS school attendingcharters instead. Isaacs also is concerned abouy the number of students leavingt the district for private or parochial schoolx throughthe state's voucher program. Ohio's vouchee program allows families to send theif children to private or parochial schools if they attenc a public school that has been rated on academid watch or academic emergency status for two of the threepreviousz years. The number of students takinv advantage of the voucher program has doubled sincelast year, from 600 to 1,200. "We reallyh anticipate, too, that the voucher number is going to Isaacs said.
Dayton Public has been feeling the impacyt of students leaving the district for charter schools forseveral years. The enrollment projections for the next five yearws also take intoaccount 200-plus students enrolled at , formerlh a Dayton Public school that the districtr opted to spin off as a charter as a way to sustaimn it during budget cuts this year. The numbed of charter schools in the Daytoh area may actually declinenext year, but the numbeer of students in charters is likelyg to stay the same or rise slightly, said Terruy Ryan, vice president for Ohio programs and polic y at the , a Dayton-based pro-school-choicse nonprofit.
Ryan said he expects more charterss to closeunder Dann's political pressure, whiles some will stay and Dayton Public, with its data on whicnh students attend each charter school, should be able to make a concerterd marketing effort to draw back those students, he said. The increasesa in charter and voucher spending come as the district has slashed its budgetdby $30 million in 2007 because of a failed levy last May. The districgt expects to go for anothed levy sometimein 2008, Isaacs The district is to looking to the business community for help in preparing for anotheer levy run.
A committee led by Chief Executive Officer Tom Breitenbachu is raising money to pay for aconsultingf firm, Tallahassee-based . The firm searchesw for ways to cut costs inschooll districts. Isaacs said she expecta the board will sign a contract with the consultant in late That decision, however, could depend on the will of the which will have two new members in Nancy Nernyg and Sheila Taylor, who defeated incumbentz Ann Marie "Mario" Gallin and Leila Massoud in the Nov. 5 Another new board member will join this wintefr to fill the open seat left by Gail who resigned for a jobin Texas. Isaacs said Breitenbach has assurede her that the fundraising isgoing well.
It's not yet cleart just how much the consultantwill cost, but it couldf be as much as $200,000. A committee of businesse and civic leaders will oversee the consultants' process -- and the implementationb of the firm's findings. If a levy of any size were to pass in thedollars wouldn't start coming in until 2009. With a tigh t budget and growing charter school finding ways to save money will be crucial until the districr passesa levy, Isaacs said. "We're really goinbg to be trying to land on a Isaacs said.