Findlay City Schools was the victim of a hoax call about a person with a gun at Northview Elementary. The police say an unknown male caller contacted the Veterans Crisis Line Friday morning, saying a person with a gun was at the entrance of the school. The school went into lockdown, and officers checked the entire inside and outside of the school and found nothing.
Superintendent Tim Roth sent out a letter saying the school district would be closed Friday and Tuesday, January 18th because of the absenteeism and the staffing shortages they are seeing in all areas. The school district already had Monday off for Martin Luther King Jr. Day, but all extracurricular activities will continue as scheduled.
Findlay City Schools along with Hancock County Educational Service and Meijer held a vaccination clinic Saturday morning. The vaccine clinic was held at Findlay High School.
In a unanimous vote, the board agreed to close Lincoln Elementary and repurpose Jacobs Primary School. K-5 students in the Lincoln building will disperse to the other elementary schools in the district. The Jacobs building will see the addition of preschool students from the Washington building. This decision comes after three denied attempts of an operating levy over the last year. This is now causing cuts to be made in their budget, but it will organize students more efficiently now.
In a unanimous decision, Findlay City Schools Board of Education voted to return the district to a full-time and non-hybrid schedule before the end of the school year. This comes after COVID-19 cases in the Findlay School District and Hancock County have shown a steady decline. This Saturday, February 27th, the school is also hosting a vaccination clinic for its employees, which also went into the decision. As of now, 500 are signed up to receive their first dose, with the second scheduled for March 20th. Students will return to school five days a week for its last grading period starting Monday, March 29th.
Findlay City Schools tries once again to pass an operational levy, but this time with a lower millage. Initially the school asked for a 5.9 mil levy, but voters turned down that proposal twice.
This weekend, Findlay City Schools make their final push to get support for their levy during an upcoming special election.
On Aug. 4 a five year 5.9 mill operating levy will be up for a vote in the Findlay community. It would generate $5 million annually for the school district. Cuts have already been made for this school year, but if not passed, more cuts would have to be made next year. Letters were mailed to eligible voters telling them where to vote with limited voting precincts. Absentee and early voting have remained an option. The districts previous attempt at a levy failed with a 52 percent opposition.
Findlay voters will see a school levy at least once more on their ballots after the district's tax levy didn't pass last month. Findlay's board has approved to try again to pass a five year, 5.9 mill operating levy. It will appear on the Aug. 4 Special Election. 52 percent of votes were against it. As an example, if approved, a homeowner with a property value of $100,000 would pay a little over $17 a month. Since the failed attempt, the school district has already made some cuts. Six teachers and one administrator lost their jobs, while six others who resigned or retired won't have their positions filled. The assistant superintendent said more major cuts could come if the levy doesn't pass. With no changes, by 2024 they could see a deficit of $11 million.
On the Hancock County ballot this November voters will decide whether or not to give Findlay City Schools money to make security improvements in a time where school safety is a concern.
