Article originally published by The Columbus Dispatch | Beth Collier, Grandview Heights Schools
Providing excellent schools at an excellent value to our residents is important to us and to that end, I’m happy to report that Grandview Heights Schools has a strong financial outlook.
Because financial accountability and transparency are a priority, each year we mail our annual Financial Prospectus to all residents.
We hope you find this in-depth look at the financial picture informative. The prospectus includes charts and graphs that help explain the financial position of the district, as well as answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding district finances.
Despite the challenges faced throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, our current forecast is stable thanks to careful and strategic planning and a strong local property tax base. Specifically, the Grandview Yard development continues to provide a consistent source of revenue to our district. In fact, the money collected this year outpaced annual projections.
Our master facilities plan, made possible by the support of our Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff communities, remains on time and on budget. In August, we celebrated the completion of Larson Middle School, and our high school renovation is scheduled to be complete by the end of next year. If these construction projects were beginning today, the price tag would be approximately 25% higher, proving these were the right projects at the right time and a sound investment for our district and our community.
Some residents have asked how the new school funding plan impacts our schools. While the Fair School Funding Plan significantly changes how K-12 school district funding is calculated, it virtually has no impact on our district. This was to be expected since the new formula is based on school district property valuation and district residents’ income, both measures of a community’s ability to pay.
Through sound financial decision-making, we will continue to make the best use of our taxpayer dollars. The Financial Prospectus 2021 also is available at ghschools.org, in our school building offices and at the Grandview Heights Public Library.
We will continue to keep you updated on our financial status. If you have any questions or feedback on the content of our prospectus or the district’s finances in general, please contact me at [email protected]. As always, thank you for your continued support.
