Canton City School District's board approved a reduction plan Monday night that calls for $17.7 million in cuts over the next two years, including dozens of positions.
The district is required to submit the budget reduction plan to the state due to its most recent financial forecast showing it running out of money in two years. Canton Superintendent Jeff Talbert has previously said the district has had to hasten plans to close buildings, combine classes and cut staff due to the loss of millions of dollars in federal and state funding, totaling almost $8 million alone in the current school year. He expressed frustration in an early January interview with Ideastream Public Media about lawmakers' priorities.
"I just need someone in Columbus to say, 'hey, yeah, we cut their money, that's why they're dealing with this,' and own it. Like, 'we cut money and they don't need it.' Because right now we're taking the hit. And it's not a hit we should take. And if it was our fault, then I'd own that too."
Legislators in the Republican-dominated Ohio Statehouse have pointed out districts like Canton have lost enrollment over the years and said they provided funding increases to most schools in the biennial budget approved in 2025. Advocates have said the state is still not funding schools adequately and expressed outrage at the state continuing to expand funding for private school vouchers.
Canton City School District hopes to cut as many positions by attrition as possible or no longer funding positions vacated by staff retirements and departures, Talbert said during the board meeting Monday. But there will ultimately be layoffs that the board will need to approve separately in March, he said.
"So, while I hate to... lay people off, it's something we've tried to avoid and we've been very good at it, we've cut over a hundred positions the last two years through attrition, this number (deficit) is just too big," he said. "So we're going to have some tough conversations in the month of February as we talk to our team members and let them know that we're just not able to keep them."
In total, the $17.7 million budget reduction plan calls for the following cuts over the next two years:
- 29 certified teaching and counseling positions, almost all through attrition. Expected savings: $5.5 million
- 34 "classified staff" including bus drivers, custodians and teacher aides, some layoffs are likely. Expected savings $3.5 million
- 9 administrators, layoffs likely unless staff retire or leave. Expected savings: $3 million.
The district will also speed up a major building consolidation plan that will close three elementary schools and consolidate students, services and staff at other buildings. This includes the construction of two elementary schools after voter approval of a bond in 2023.
Even with all these reductions, Talbert has said the district will need new revenue to stay afloat. That could mean a levy attempt on the ballot later this year.
