Ryan Gallwitz had to hit the ground running last summer when he was named superintendent of Centerburg Local Schools less than three weeks before the start of school.
“It was more like sprinting,” he said, recalling decisions that required immediate attention in the wake of Mike Hebenthal’s resignation. “This past year has been a blur. It has gone by so fast.”
Gallwitz’s sprint has not let up. In addition to his daily responsibilities, he is working to explain the importance of the district’s 2.75-mill permanent improvement levy on the Nov. 7 ballot. If approved, the levy will relieve pressure on the general fund and lift the district out of a deficit-spending cycle. The impact of the levy, Gallwitz said, is reduced by the fact that the middle school/high school will be paid for this year and the millage that financed the bond issue will be removed from property tax bills.
Fourteen months ago Gallwitz’s emphasis was on first things first. Hebenthal’s last day was July 29, 2022.
`“A lot of things were happening as the school year was about to begin,” Gallwitz said. “One of the first priorities was to build our administrative team.”
With board of education approval, John Morgan replaced Gallwitz as a high school principal for a year. Alexandrea McIntire was named middle school principal and Stephanie Pound moved into the role of director of special education/federal programs. Miguel Thompson continued as an elementary principal.
“Along with Treasurer Lori Houck, I knew this was a team I could count on,” Gallwitz said.
His regimen has included district planning with staff, monthly reports to the board of education and quarterly reviews to ensure Centerburg’s policies adhere to state and federal guidelines.
And there were the unexpected, such as when broken solar panel electrical wiring on the roof of the elementary building ignited a fire. The panels owned by Solar Planet subsequently were removed and the company’s insurance paid to repair the damage to the roof. Solar panels adjacent to the middle/high school remain but a renegotiated agreement with Solar Planet will save the district about $66,000 annually.
Now Gallwitz’s focus is squarely on the 2.75-mill permanent improvement levy that voters will decide in November, a decision that he said will directly impact students’ safety and security.
“Funds generated by the permanent improvement levy would be used only to repair and maintain existing facilities or acquire equipment that will last five years or more, such as school bus purchases, playground equipment, roof repairs, restroom and plumbing repairs and window and door replacement,,” Gallwitz said. “The levy cannot be used to pay salaries or benefits.
“People drive by the middle/high school and say that it looks brand new, but it isn’t. It’s 20 years old and it requires upkeep. Recently we spent $500,000 on the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system and replaced wheelchair ramps. The carpet in many areas needs to be replaced.”
Gallwitz acknowledged that many in the community want to see major improvements to the district’s athletic facilities.
“I support that too,” he said, “but we must deal with immediate needs first. Revenue from the levy would allow us to balance our budget and end deficit spending, maintain our current facilities as well as provide the opportunity to expand our athletic facilities. .”
Treasurer Lori Houck said the district is in a deficit-spending cycle because expenses are exceeding revenue. Expenses that could be paid by a permanent improvement levy are depleting the general fund.
“We are conservative and frugal with our finances but the costs of equipment and repairs continue to increase,” Houck said. “We have been very fortunate to have annual carryover balances in the general fund but those balances will continue to decline. The permanent improvement levy would do a lot to meet our needs and preserve the general fund.
“I feel that we do a good job of serving the best interests of our students and staff and, by extension, the entire Centerburg community,” she said. “The levy would help us a great deal to maintain that commitment.”
Gallwitz emphasized again that it is important for taxpayers to understand that the cost of the 2.75-mill permanent improvement levy would be offset in part by the fact that 1.7 mills of property tax will no longer be collected on the high school/middle school bond.
“The net increase is 1.05 mills,” he said. “The average home value in our district is approximately $300,000; 1.05 mills on that home is an annual increase of $110.25 or $9.18 per month.”
Before he was appointed superintendent, Gallwitz served a decade as the Centerburg High School principal. Earlier he spent 11 years at East Knox as a teacher, coach, dean of students, assistant principal and principal.
“There has been a lot for me to learn but at this point in my career I needed to push myself professionally,” Gallwitz said .”Our board of education is wonderful to work with. They let us do our job while having high expectations for students’ academic achievement. We have a dedicated and talented staff at the elementary, middle and high school levels.”
Centerburg Local Schools scored an overall rating of four out of five stars on the Ohio Department of Education’s 2022-2023 report card.
“I have to be humble enough to ask for help when I need it,” Gallwitz said. “I talk with the other county superintendents. I lean on the Ohio Department of Education District 7 Support Team, where Mike Hebenthal is now a member, for guidance.”
Now Gallwitz is turning to the community for help on behalf of the entire school district.
“Our goal is to meet the needs of the district with as minimal impact as possible on our taxpayers. But we had to decide: put the levy on the ballot or make a lot of cuts. The trends are real. We can’t cut our way out of deficit spending.”
