Clarity, commitment and looking ahead

Over the past year, the Findlay City Schools community has confronted a series of difficult but necessary decisions. Following the failure of our November 2024 levy, our fourth since 2020, we were left with no alternative but to reduce our operating budget by $6 million for the 2025–26 school year. Among the most challenging of these reductions was the decision to eliminate high school transportation and implement a two-mile walk zone for students in grades K–8, which aligns with the state's minimum requirements for school district transportation. These changes, along with numerous others, were not made lightly. They were essential to preserving the quality of our classroom instruction and academic programming while living within our financial means. Despite these hard choices, our commitment to supporting students remains steadfast. We continue to: Provide busing for K–8 students who live beyond the two-mile radius.Maintain transportation services for special education students whose Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) require busing and/or those who receive grant-funded preschool transportation.Review and monitor safe walking routes to ensure all students who walk to school can do so as safely as possible. Thanks to the strong support of our community, we passed a much-needed operating levy in May 2025. This marks a critical turning point for our district. However, it's important to note that full collection of these new funds will not begin for another 18 months. While we await the collection of these local funds, we still have uncertainty in our other funding sources. We are currently analyzing our state funding projections and await updates regarding federal allocations. These financial details are crucial to understanding our path forward. Transportation remains a top priority. Once we are confident that our operating budget is stabilized, we will evaluate how and when we can redesign busing services, with the goal of doing so as soon as possible. We are grateful for the continued partnership of our families and the trust you've placed in us. As always, we remain committed to transparency, collaboration, and providing timely updates as we plan for the future of Findlay City Schools. School years are full of non-stop energy, events, and excitement. Summer is often a time to rest and recharge. I'm hopeful our staff and students are finding time to read a good book, relax a bit, and do things that bring them joy. I certainly hope this is the case for everyone in Trojan Country as we look forward to the first day of school on Aug. 14! Andy Hatton is superintendent of Findlay City Schools.