• We thank you, the members of our school district, for the financial support, which has allowed us to complete many different projects over the last several years.

What is a permanent improvement tax?
• A permanent improvement tax can be used for anything that will last 5 years or more. 

• For example, we have used this money to replace roofs, buy new busses, remodel classrooms, air condition the elementary, purchase new boilers, update technology, etc.

What can the money not be used for?
• The money cannot be used for salaries or fringe benefits; these must be paid out of general operating dollars. 

Some of the permanent improvements that have been completed in the district include the following:
• Replacing and repairing roofs at the elementary and high school
• Installing air conditioning in all kindergarten-4^th-grade classrooms, making all buildings with A/C
• Repairing and replacing boilers
• Purchasing new busses
• Updating high school classrooms, high school library, high school offices, and elementary classrooms 
• Repairing high school and elementary restrooms along with plumbing
• Updating technology, including computers, chromebooks, and wireless access points.
• Repairing and updating both Harmon Field and Steinmetz Field
• Tuckpointing and mortar repair in many areas of the high school and elementary
• Replacing outside windows and doors as needed at high school and elementary

Upcoming projects to be completed over the next three years include the following:
• Refurbishing classrooms in the high school and elementary as needed
• Updating security measures and outdoor facilities as needed
• Replacing outside doors, ceilings, and roofs where needed
• Replacing busses
• Tuckpointing bricks and repairing foundation as needed
• Maintaining/updating electricity, plumbing, and hvac as needed
• Updating technology and textbooks as needed
• Painting and paving where needed     

Our expenditure per pupil for fiscal year 2014 was $8,526, which is less than our expenditure of $8,641 per pupil in Fiscal Year 2011. As you can see from these numbers, we have made fiscally responsible decisions to use our tax dollars wisely. 

We rank 7^th lowest out of the 21 most similar districts in the state in the amount of money we spend per pupil, yet we are first in this group in state ranking academically. 

Two districts that are near us in this FY 2014 expenditure per pupil ranking are Liberty-Benton, which spends $9,034 per student, and Ottawa-Glandorf, which spends very close to our district at $8,498 per pupil. 

The state average expenditure per pupil is $10,912.  We have completed this by trying to be as efficient as possible while still giving our students an excellent education. 

As you can see from the above numbers, we spend $2,386 less per pupil than state average, and our district consistently ranks in the top 6% of the state academically with our performance index.

Obviously, these permanent improvement dollars are important for us to continue to maintain and improve our schools’ infrastructure.  We will continue to use these monies wisely as we have in the past, and we will continue to publish the revenue and expenses in the Bluffton News, Bluffton Icon, and Summer  District Newsletter. 

The entire report card for last year has not been officially released, but, from the preliminary data, it looks as if our district will meet all 32 state achievement test indicators; this, then, will give our district an “A” for this category. This will be the 10^th consecutive year that we will have met 100% of all state achievement indicators.

On Nov. 30, 2015, our district received notification from Nerdwallet.com that Bluffton Schools is ranked 11^th out of the 608 school districts in the state of Ohio that gives the district the most “bang for its buck.” 

In order to come up with this ranking, Nerdwallet.com looked at test scores, graduation rates, and class size and then compared that data with housing cost, mortgage payments, and property taxes. 

To view the report online go to:  https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/mortgages/best-school-districts-ohio-2015/
    
Thank you for your continued support of Bluffton Exempted Village Schools. Through the combined efforts of the community as well as a dedicated staff and fantastic students, we will sustain the tradition of excellence in our district for our students. 
If you have any questions regarding this issue or would like a first-hand look at the improvements we have recently completed, please call (419-358-5901) or stop by the Superintendent’s Office.